We are now in the 4th week of Advent, Christmas will be here before we know it. All 4 candles of the advent wreath are fully aglow filling the room with light to remind us how close we are to the arrival of the Light of the World. The Prophecy we read in Micah says: But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel. Bethlehem actually translates as "House of Bread"...
This 3rd week of advent begins with Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means Rejoice! We take it from the Traditional Introit heard at Mass: Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete ...that translates as Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! This is the week of the different color advent candle and vestments. While you may be thinking it’s pink, the actual color is rose to symbolize rejoicing in the closeness of Christmas. This week we're going to look at the Genealogy of Jesus found at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. I know what you're thinking… What rejoicing is there in a long list of Old Testament figures, half of whom I’ve never heard of? Well if we dig deeper there a few names that stand out...
People not that familiar with the New Testament, probably assume the Gospels begin with some cute verse, like, It came upon a midnight clear, or Away in a Manger no crib for a bed. But none of the first verses of any of the Gospels, begin with a Christmas narrative. Matthew starts with a long Geneology and while the Gospel of John’s beginning may sound more familiar: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… after that the Gospel of John along with Mark and Luke all tell us something first about John the Baptist before they ever talk about Jesus.
Why is John the Baptist so important? What can we learn from him this Advent?
Advent is now underway. This week we’ll take a look at what the word advent actually means. The word advent comes from the Latin word ADVENTUS, which translates as arrival or coming...