These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary . . . They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. (Is 40:25-31)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120722.cfm
My friend, Father Wilbur Thomas (1947-2022), went home to God last night. For 14 years we worked together at the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Asheville, NC, until we both retired in 2018. I will be forever grateful for his friendship, his wisdom, and his guidance. He was a priest after the Heart of Christ. He now soars with eagles’ wings. Through his preaching, Saint Ambrose was responsible for the conversion of Saint Augustine. Today we also remember those who died on this day in 1941 in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and all those who died in World War II.
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God . . . Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care. (Is 40:1-11)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120622.cfm
Händel’s Messiah opens with this prophecy from Isaiah with its promise of comfort. Saint Nicholas (270-343) followed in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. He was known as a gentle, generous shepherd who cared for the flock entrusted to his care. Saint Nicholas has become one of the most beloved figures of Advent.
Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you. (Is 35:1-10)
When Jesus saw their faith (the faith of the friends), he said (to the paralyzed man), “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” (Lk 5:17-26)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120522.cfm
Troubled times are always a part of the human story. The word of the old prophet Isaiah still speaks to us today. The message of Advent is the same: Don’t be afraid, our God comes to save us. But we have to hold on. Sometimes like the paralyzed man in the gospel story, we need the faith of our friends to get us through.
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. (Mt 3:1-12)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120422.cfm
In addition to the Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist is one of the most important figures of this first part of Advent. Our mission, like John the Baptist, is to prepare the way of the Lord in our world, in our lives. Perhaps it’s as simple as Saint Paul says: “Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.”
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mt 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120322.cfm
After telling the disciples to ask the “master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest,” he then sends THEM out. Like them, we think that the Lord wants to call other people to the work of evangelization when really Lord sends US! Perhaps that’s why Pope Francis keeps reminding us that we are “missionary disciples.” Saint Francis Xavier was a companion of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first Jesuit missionaries to carry the gospel to Asia.
