BISHOP DAVID M.O'CONNELL, C.M., HAS SHARED THIS MESSAGE for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Candles of humanity must be lit from light of God
The four weeks of Advent which we draw to a close this week are like a snapshot, a miniature, a glimpse of the whole of salvation history.
The themes of the past four weeks like watch and pray … prepare the way of the Lord... God our Savior and Messiah is at hand ... Emmanuel, God with us … all alert us to the primary event in human history: the Word became Flesh – Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Mary – dwelt among us and we have seen his glory again and again.
It was the great philosopher St. Anselm who once wrote: “without God’s Son, nothing exists; without Mary’s Son, nothing can be redeemed.”
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI taught us: “If we are to be continually lighting candles of humanity, giving hope and joy to a dark world, we can only do so by lighting them from the light of God, Incarnate … from the light of Christ we are to light the flame of a new humanity, caring for the persecuted, the poor, the little ones” of this world of ours.
There it is, the message of Advent and Christmas to follow: light, hope, joy and love. This is what Jesus’ presence brings in Mary’s womb as she greets her kinswoman Elizabeth, in Christ’s humble birth and throughout his life and in the Church he established.
Read the full message HERE.To give staff an opportunity to celebrate Christmas with their families, the Chancery will be closed for Christmas beginning Friday, Dec. 22 at noon and reopening for business on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 9 a.m. We wish all a joyful and peace-filled Christmas.