The weeks podcast is available HERE.
Youth 2000 Ireland - "Youth leading youth to the heart of the church"
Stephanie is back visiting us in studio this week giving us an update on the activity of Youth2000 during the year and a reminder of what they get up to a Y2K weekends and retreats through out the year.
There is also a reminder of the Youth 2000 Christmas Retreat which is on from December 16th - 18th in Newbridge Co Kildare.If you would like to get on to the free bus going to the retreat please contact Eleanor on 085-7443808.
Check out the Youth2000 website for further information and details of other up events through the year.
Gospel - John 1: 6-8, 19-28
 |
Again this week we have a presentation of that great Advent figure, John the Baptist, although this week it is from the Gospel of St John. It is the prologue to the gospel which is a very different gospel to the style of the other three synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke). We have the focus on the relationship with God and Light and the tradition of Jesus as the Light of the World with John the Baptist only coming as a witness to the Light of the World.
John the Baptist is coming across as being humble and knowing his role in relation to God. He is the man who responds "I am not", very self effacing and also reminding us of the self identification of God as "I AM WHO I AM". He stresses his role as the herald, and only claims his Isaiah-ian authority as the "voice in the wilderness". He seeks no other role except that as a witness. He is not giving his own opinion but is rather testifying to the love of God and the need to prepare for the Lord. He steps out side of the story and reminds others that the Messiah is coming. As a witness John speaks from out of the desert, reminding us that he was not part of the established religious authorities in Jerusalem. It also reminds us of the call of God from out of the desert and reminding us of the role of the desert in the relationship of Israel with God. It is a reminder of our need to take time especially in this Advent season to make time and space for God in our lives.
The role of darkness and light is also a motif in this weeks gospel, very much touching on the theme of hope and reminding us for the need to be aware the potential for growth in the darkness of our lives, like the seed in the darkness of the earth, there is always a chance and opportunity for us to grow in the love of God.
Michael de Vertuil prayer reflection on this weeks gospel:
Lord, there is much darkness around us in society,
in our church community, in our family, in our own hearts.
Eventually it gets us down. We become cynical and settle for mediocrity.
We thank you that someone always comes on the scene,
sent by you as a witness to speak for the light:
- on the world scene, people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa;
- in our country, teachers, workers, community leaders;
- a grandparent, one of our children, a friend.
They bear witness to the rest of us that somewhere in the dark
a light always shines,
a light that darkness cannot overpower,
and therefore we can all believe again.
in our church community, in our family, in our own hearts.
Eventually it gets us down. We become cynical and settle for mediocrity.
We thank you that someone always comes on the scene,
sent by you as a witness to speak for the light:
- on the world scene, people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa;
- in our country, teachers, workers, community leaders;
- a grandparent, one of our children, a friend.
They bear witness to the rest of us that somewhere in the dark
a light always shines,
a light that darkness cannot overpower,
and therefore we can all believe again.
Two further thoughts for the week from the Centre for Liturgy:
Teilhard de Chardin once said the same thing in different words when he was accused of being overly-idealistic and unrealistic in the face all the negative things one sees in the world. A critic had challenged him: “Suppose we blow up the world with a nuclear bomb, what then happens to your vision of a world coming together in peace?” Teilhard’s response lays bare the anatomy of hope: “If we blow up the world by nuclear bombs, that will set things back some millions of years, but eventually what Christ promised will come about, not because I wish it, but because God has promised it and, in the resurrection, God has shown that God is powerful enough to deliver on that promise.”
Hope is precisely that, a vision of life that guides itself by God’s promise, irrespective of whether the situation looks optimistic or pessimistic at any given time."
December 12th - St Finnian, also Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13th - St Lucy
December 14th - St John of the Cross
Local Notices (courtesy of the Diocesan Webmail).
| ||||
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.