{"id":1759,"date":"2015-12-12T18:10:39","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T07:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stbridgetsgreythorn.org.au\/?p=1759"},"modified":"2015-12-12T18:10:58","modified_gmt":"2015-12-12T07:10:58","slug":"homily-points-for-third-sunday-of-advent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/homily-points-for-third-sunday-of-advent\/","title":{"rendered":"homily points for Third Sunday of Advent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Third Sunday of Advent \u2013 Year C<\/h4>\n

December 13, 2015
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/h6>\n

Advent is a time when we might wonder what there is to rejoice about. The end of the year is never easy.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • People are tired (sometimes irritable) and the demands of Christmas celebrations wear us out; a visit home for some and family together for others.<\/li>\n
  • Relationships can be stressed at this time, like our credit cards and money wallets.<\/li>\n
  • The world is still reeling after Paris and San Bernadino. But worse, refugees brave the northern winter to leave Syria where an unforgiving war rages against an ill-defined enemy.<\/li>\n
  • In many places, where Christ is not well known, war and famine cut human life to mere human existence.<\/li>\n
  • HIV\/AIDS gets worse, even in Australia, where false security gives way to promiscuity.<\/li>\n
  • But the message of Gaudete<\/em> Sunday, to rejoice in the Lord\u2019s coming, is still needed.<\/li>\n
  • John, the preacher, calls for right living in preparation for Jesus.<\/li>\n
  • People are to live a just and merciful life and to avoid the compromises of a corrupt world.<\/li>\n
  • Jesus asks people to be fair; generous towards others and satisfied with their life. In other words, keep life in perspective. Do not indulge yourself in greed and excess.<\/li>\n
  • This is perhaps a timely reminder that self-indulgence and excess lead to unhappiness and disappointment.<\/li>\n
  • Whereas treating people kindly, mercifully and living calmly are their own reward.<\/li>\n
  • Christmas celebrations then should be about people not \u2018over the top\u2019 partying.<\/li>\n
  • Gift giving should be more than Christmas trees and presents, delighting as these are, but extending our plenty to charity and the poor.<\/li>\n
  • Our lights this Christmas, that shine out, must also shine inwards on the Church \u2013 for people are judging us.<\/li>\n
  • In his Letter, The Joy of the Gospel<\/em>, Pope Francis says it: \u201cSince I am asked to put into practice what I ask of others, I too must think of a conversion of the papacy.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • While he upholds the Church teaching, the Pope is putting pastoral compassion and mercy ahead of doctrinal teaching.<\/li>\n
  • He is in step with Pope Benedict, who said that Christianity is not a law to be obeyed but a presence to be embraced \u2013 the presence of the love of God.<\/li>\n
  • That love of God incarnate is the center of the gospel.<\/li>\n
  • It is the center of the preaching of John the Baptist.<\/li>\n
  • It should be the center of our life.<\/li>\n
  • Living that gospel means little and big gestures towards the poor and needy. Refusing to tolerate the staggering poverty and suffering in the world.<\/li>\n
  • We may be disappointed with our efforts and the efforts of others.<\/li>\n
  • But God\u2019s grace is at work.<\/li>\n
  • \u201cGod is in every person\u2019s life, wherever they are. \u201cEven if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else \u2013 God is in this person\u2019s life. You can, you must try, to seek God in every human life. Although the life of a person is in a land of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.\u201d Pope Francis.<\/li>\n
  • And even Ally McBeal said that if a year is passed without tears either of joy or sadness, consider the year wasted.<\/li>\n
  • So, rejoice at the coming of God\u2019s love in Jesus, and make that love the center of your life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Third Sunday of Advent \u2013 Year C December 13, 2015 Advent is a time when we might wonder what there is to rejoice about. The end of the year is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-1759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homily-notes","tag-homily"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1759"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1762,"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759\/revisions\/1762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kmgit.com\/testbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}