Sunday, December 18, 2011

12/23/2011- homily for Friday of 4th week of Advent - Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14; Luke 1:57-66


        Today’s psalmist asks the Lord to guide him in the way of truth and teach him his paths.  In many ways, that is the journey most of us as Christ’s disciples have tried to follow during the Advent season.  Here at St. Mary parish in Yazoo City, we have adopted the theme for Advent to follow the signs of this season to help us to prepare for the birth of Christ into our world, to follow the symbols, the rituals, and the devotions of the season to lead us and guide us.  These signs, these rituals, these symbols, help us express our openness to letting God teach us & guide us in our lives, just what the psalmist expresses to us today. 
         The Gospel reading about the birth of John the Baptist describes for us the consequences of Elizabeth’s and Zechariah’s preparation for God will in their lives. Their journey certainly had some twists & some turns for them, but their preparation & their willingness to listen to God enabled them to not only stand up against peer pressure from friends & relatives, but it also enabled them to speak & act in a way that brought others to recognize the presence of God in their lives.  Their son would later grow up to be the man who directly prepared the way for Jesus & his ministry.
         Today’s readings are quite appropriate, preparing us to celebrate our joyful Christmas Eve celebrations tomorrow.  May the Lord lead us & guide us, opening our hearts as we enter the Christmas season with the birth of Christ into our world.  May this upcoming liturgical season of Christmas help us to learn more about God’s truth & laws. 

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