From The Bishop

This Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. The Gospel is from St. Luke and it speaks about distressing signs. There is no question that St. Luke’s words also apply to our situation today. There are many things that are causing “distress among the nationsâ€�. This can cause confusion and fear as the problems we face seem to be overwhelming at times. At moments such as this our natural response is to focus on the world rather than on ourselves; however, what we need to do is begin with ourselves in order to change the world. In the Second Reading St. Paul states, “Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.â€� St. Paul speaks about personal holiness and reminds us that it is rooted in God’s love. The more we become like Jesus, the more we radiate his love and grow in holiness. Let us use these four weeks of Advent as a time to focus on hope so that we can overcome fear. Let us work at holiness and become more like Christ who is the Light of the World. The Advent wreath reminds us that we are called to bring light into a world of darkness and confusion. It begins by fanning the flames of God’s love in our hearts. 1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT Readings: 1st Reading: Jeremiah 33.14-16 2nd Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3.12 â€" 4.2 Gospel: Luke 21.25-28, 34-36