The Catholic Calendar for Friday, December 16, 2005
Friday in the Third Week of Advent

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 56:1-3a, 6-8
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
John 5:33-36

A reflection on today's Scripture. . . .

"...these very works which I am doing
bear me witness that the Father has sent me." (John 5:36)

In recent years some Scripture scholars and theologians, in response to strong secular influences, have weakened the faith of many Christians by doubting Jesus' identity and message. They questioned His divine nature, suggested that though He was a gifted speaker, His "miracles" could have been magic tricks, people's misconceptions or mass hypnosis. Also they minimized sin's seriousness, stated that "guilt" was psychologically unhealthy and assured people that God, being love, simply overlooks human "mistakes."

Their implication, while not stated, was that Christ's sacrificial death for our sin was an error and that His resurrection was staged to win followers to His movement. In consequence, many ministers and priests glossed over the necessity for repentance of sin and following Christ's teachings as the absolute and unchanging word of God. This, plus an influential and liberal mass media, underlies today's rampant immorality and increasing social disorder.

Advent should be a time of joyful expectancy, preparation for a loving welcome to the Christ-child; but it should also be a time to recall the true identity of His Person--God coming to us in human flesh to deliver mankind from sin and death. Let us see Christ's imminent birth as an invitation for us to be born anew and like little children, relearn following our heavenly Father's bidding.

If we accept this gift of new life, the Holy Spirit will, through His grace and our willingness, transforms us into pure and truly loving people. We will then be enabled to make known to the world in our own flesh the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. God grants salvation to each of us personally, but He also calls us to share this greatest of gifts with others, through how we live and interact with them.

O Heavenly Father,
prepare our hearts to receive the blessed gift of Your Son.
Imbue us with Your love, generosity
and an ever-deepening faith and trust in Your living Word.
Amen

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at earthlink dot net)

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