euphemos

3rd Sunday of Advent

I noticed something new to me this year in our reading for this third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday.

The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love,  he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.

We rejoice, of course. We rejoice because our God comes to us. We rejoice in the sights and smells and delights of this season. Our hearts rejoice as we see kindness abound. We delight in the delight of children as they anticipate and experience the joys of both giving and receiving generously. But it is not only the people of God who rejoice.

God rejoices. 

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 158

We are near the end of the liturgical year. In November we spend the month thinking about the last things of death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Next week, we consider the coming of Christ, our King. Soon, we will enter Advent and turn our attention to the Christ child.

But first, Daniel invites us to consider Heaven and Hell. In the end, he says, some of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake to shine brightly like stars forever. Others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

We are confused by Heaven. We know it is good, but it sounds rather boring, doesn’t it? Why do we want to be there? Because God is there.

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Lectionary: 152
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103121.cfm

Do you love God?

I often preach about the importance of loving God and loving our neighbor. Most of the time it is more about loving our neighbor. I plan to keep doing that. We’ve got to get this right. We need to love our neighbor.

But, today, I want to get right to the very beginning.

Do you love God? Do you really?