Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
Prepare the Way of the Lord
The liturgy of the Church invites us to reflect on four themes through the Advent season: Hope, Faith, Joy, and Love / Peace. During this second Sunday we are invited to take a look at our faith.
The prophet Baruch, by proclaiming that Jerusalem will come out of her misery, is inviting his listeners to have faith in God, in his recreating Word. The prophet proclaims that Jerusalem's children will gather from everywhere and that the Lord will prepare the place where they are to dwell.
Saint Paul in his letter to the Philippians expresses his confidence in God "that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Paul's confidence is rooted in his experience of encountering the Risen Lord who entrusted him with the mission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.
In the Gospel, John is proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He is moved by faith to make this proclamation. and knows that he is there to prepare the way for the one who is to come, the Lamb of God.
Baruch, St. Paul, and John the Baptist were moved by their faith, their confidence in God's goodness, to proclaim the great works He was about to do in their midst. During this second Sunday of Advent, what is our faith in God moving us to proclaim? What are the great works of God that we are witnessing in our midst? How do these works take place in our lives? The acknowledgment and proclamation of God's works will help us prepare ourselves to understand better the Mystery of the incarnation and therefore, to celebrate it with grateful hearts.
In our parish, the works of God take place within different ministries. For this reason, beginning today, we are going to have a section in our bulletin called "Ministry Spotlight." The purpose of this section is for our parishioners and visitors to know what our ministries are about. It is also an opportunity to see how our parishioners are also moved by their faith. Our hope is that this same faith will move many others to participate and be part of our ministries.
-fr. Jorge Rativa, O.P
