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November 29, 2020
Because we live between...
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On this 1st Sunday of Advent, we begin the new liturgical year and move from Year A to Year B liturgically. That means we will be reading
primarily from the Gospel of Mark throughout this new year.
On this special weekend, we also begin our new Mass schedule
which is as follows:
Saturday,
4:00 pm Mass St. Camillus; 4:00 pm Mass St. Vitus;
Sunday, 8:00 am St. Mary; 9:00 am St. Vitus,
10:00 am Sears parking lot, weather permitting;
11:00 am St. Camillus.
You will notice, on this 1st Sunday of Advent, the scripture is not concerned with the historical birth of Jesus Christ, but with his second coming. This is because we live between the historical birth of Jesus Christ and His second coming. It is not until the end of Advent that we begin to focus on our Lord’s historical birth. Our focus now is on our own place in history as we anticipate our Lord’s second coming. We also acknowledge that our Lord comes to us every day in our living out of our lives. He comes to us, certainly, in the Holy Eucharist, in Reconciliation, in our time spent in prayer and also in the many challenges we face as human beings. The truth that Jesus Christ the Son of God took on human flesh and became part of a human family proves that God is not afraid to enter into the messiness of human life. Jesus comes to us in the mundane situations of every-day living. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is with us in all things, especially the most ordinary things of life.
For those who never think of God, or shun spirituality and dismiss religion as foolish and not scientific, they miss the whole spiritual reality of existence. My dad used to have a saying: perhaps someone in your life also would say these words, “Some people are too big for their britches.” We all know the meaning of that phrase, we think we are so sophisticated, cultured and educated that we look down our noses at people we perceive to be inferior to ourselves. This is a dominant attitude in our secular culture. It is certainly the attitude of socialism and communism. Unfortunately they ignore the whole reality of the spirit which is far greater, more powerful and more real than that of the material.
I am always inspired by the story of the German scientist, Werner von Braun, a professed Nazi atheist and a German rocket scientist and astronautics engineer who was one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Germany and the United States. He was instrumental in the development of the space program in our country. It was actually science that brought him to faith. The knowledge that matter cannot be destroyed but only changes form led him to believe that if he cannot destroy matter, how could he possibly destroy the spirit which is even beyond matter. He also said, “My experiences with science led me to God. They challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?”
Our Lord and Savior says to us in the Gospel, Mark 13:33, this weekend, “Be alert and awake!” Let us pray as Holy Spirit Parish that the Lord will, indeed, send his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and hearts that we might have eyes to see the wonder of God present with us, ears that we might hear His Word and take it in to our very hearts and souls. May we be sensitive more and more each day during this holy season to know Christ, love Christ, serve Christ and invite others to Christ through word, sacrament, and sacrifice.
God love you,
