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----------------------------- Please note that our website now has a new address: http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim3/index/ ----------------------------- The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, December 16, 2001 The Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 35:1-6,10 Psalm 146:6-10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm A Reflection on today's Scripture: What if someone gave a big party -- and nobody came? God's giving a party -- and it looks like many folks are not even preparing to attend. Recently my pastor lamented that practically no one wants to go to confession anymore. Why? "Everyone thinks they're sinless!" Whoa, there!! Sinless?!! How is it then, that I don't see many people in Church for Holydays of Obligation, or very many young people at Saturday/Sunday Masses? Why do I hear people talking about their neighbors' faults - behind their backs? Why do I see such a lack of interest in the worst moral situation of our times, abortion? What happened to weekly Confession, Benediction, Stations of the Cross, the Block Rosary, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament during the week, fasting, penance, almsgiving, and tithing? What about cheating the government, businesses and your neighbor? What about partaking in excessive pleasures of all kinds and making =things= your god? Advent, is a time for us to humbly examine our behavior very carefully, to make a spiritual change, to prepare our hearts for Christ's Coming. Why would Jesus, the Son of God, love us so much as to come to this earth, to suffer and be crucified to death, except that He truly loved us that much! Shall we make a mockery of His love, by ignoring his call to love? Lord, let your glory dawn to take away our darkness. May we be revealed as the children of light at the coming of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. - Joachim, ocds (1995) YOU CAN HELP to evangelize the Word of God: Please RECOMMEND our website to your friends and webmasters. The Daily Meditations appear online in BOTH English & Spanish at: http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim3/index/. ALSO find recent speeches and audiences given by Pope John Paul II updated nearly every day on our site! Archived Meditations at: www.abcsoffaith.com/quiet/quietplace.html and at http://www.mail-archive.com/dailymed%40saturn.nibcomp.com. For ALL communications, including subscribe/unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (c)2001 The Way, The Truth, The Life. Permission granted to make reprints of the meditations or to post on any web page, except for profit. All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims version of the Catholic Bible. |
Title: Meditation: Sunday, December 16, 2001
