{"id":543,"date":"2024-01-02T13:33:53","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T18:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/?page_id=543"},"modified":"2024-10-25T10:02:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T14:02:41","slug":"third-sunday-of-advent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/index.php\/2024\/01\/02\/third-sunday-of-advent\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2014Third Sunday of Advent"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"543\" class=\"elementor elementor-543\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b8d22d7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"20573\" data-id=\"b8d22d7\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-99f195b\" data-eae-slider=\"108\" data-id=\"99f195b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c77524 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7c77524\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Third Sunday of Advent<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d40cebf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"56599\" data-id=\"d40cebf\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;shape_divider_bottom&quot;:&quot;book&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shape elementor-shape-bottom\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-negative=\"false\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 100\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\">\n\t<path class=\"elementor-shape-fill\" d=\"M194,99c186.7,0.7,305-78.3,306-97.2c1,18.9,119.3,97.9,306,97.2c114.3-0.3,194,0.3,194,0.3s0-91.7,0-100c0,0,0,0,0-0 L0,0v99.3C0,99.3,79.7,98.7,194,99z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7dd7c82\" data-eae-slider=\"81877\" data-id=\"7dd7c82\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9bc298 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"a9bc298\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd0e7bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bd0e7bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Third Sunday of Advent (Year B)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dab565e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"dab565e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reading 1<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-789c68e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"789c68e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/isaiah\/61?1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is 61:1-2A, 10-11<\/a><\/span><br \/>The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,<br \/>because the LORD has anointed me;<br \/>he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,<br \/>to heal the brokenhearted,<br \/>to proclaim liberty to the captives<br \/>and release to the prisoners,<br \/>to announce a year of favor from the LORD<br \/>and a day of vindication by our God.<br \/>I rejoice heartily in the LORD,<br \/>in my God is the joy of my soul;<br \/>for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation<br \/>and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,<br \/>like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,<br \/>like a bride bedecked with her jewels.<br \/>As the earth brings forth its plants,<br \/>and a garden makes its growth spring up,<br \/>so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise<br \/>spring up before all the nations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a0bc46 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8a0bc46\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Responsorial Psalm<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b743a8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9b743a8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/luke\/1?46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54<\/a><\/span><br \/>R. (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.<br \/>My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;<br \/>my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,<br \/>for he has looked upon his lowly servant.<br \/>From this day all generations will call me blessed:<br \/>R. My soul rejoices in my God.<br \/>the Almighty has done great things for me,<br \/>and holy is his Name.<br \/>He has mercy on those who fear him<br \/>in every generation.<br \/>R. My soul rejoices in my God.<br \/>He has filled the hungry with good things,<br \/>and the rich he has sent away empty.<br \/>He has come to the help of his servant Israel<br \/>for he has remembered his promise of mercy,<br \/>R. My soul rejoices in my God.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d39b71f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d39b71f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reading 2<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b9c9753 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b9c9753\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/1thessalonians\/5?16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Thes 5:16-24<\/a><\/span><br \/>Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.<br \/>In all circumstances give thanks,<br \/>for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.<br \/>Do not quench the Spirit.<br \/>Do not despise prophetic utterances.<br \/>Test everything; retain what is good.<br \/>Refrain from every kind of evil.<br \/>May the God of peace make you perfectly holy<br \/>and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,<br \/>be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.<br \/>The one who calls you is faithful,<br \/>and he will also accomplish it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e49e155 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e49e155\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Alleluia<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c219b96 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c219b96\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/isaiah\/61?1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is 61:1 (cited in Lk 4:18)<\/span><\/a><br \/><em><strong>R. Alleluia, alleluia.<\/strong><\/em><br \/>The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,<br \/>because he has anointed me<br \/>to bring glad tidings to the poor.<br \/><em><strong>R. Alleluia, alleluia.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af03906 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"af03906\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Gospel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1866f58 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1866f58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/1?6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jn 1:6-8, 19-28<\/a><br \/>A man named John was sent from God.<br \/>He came for testimony, to testify to the light,<br \/>so that all might believe through him.<br \/>He was not the light,<br \/>but came to testify to the light.<br \/>And this is the testimony of John.<br \/>When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests<br \/>and Levites to him<br \/>to ask him, \u201cWho are you?\u201d<br \/>He admitted and did not deny it,<br \/>but admitted, \u201cI am not the Christ.\u201d<br \/>So they asked him,<br \/>\u201cWhat are you then? Are you Elijah?\u201d<br \/>And he said, \u201cI am not.\u201d<br \/>\u201cAre you the Prophet?\u201d<br \/>He answered, \u201cNo.\u201d<br \/>So they said to him,<br \/>\u201cWho are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?<br \/>What do you have to say for yourself?\u201d<br \/>He said:<br \/>\u201cI am the voice of one crying out in the desert,<br \/>\u2018make straight the way of the Lord,\u2019\u201d<br \/>as Isaiah the prophet said.\u201d<br \/>Some Pharisees were also sent.<br \/>They asked him,<br \/>\u201cWhy then do you baptize<br \/>if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?\u201d<br \/>John answered them,<br \/>\u201cI baptize with water;<br \/>but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,<br \/>the one who is coming after me,<br \/>whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.\u201d<br \/>This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,<br \/>where John was baptizing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44886ea elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"44886ea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Exegesis:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea074d7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea074d7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/isaiah\/61?1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is 61:1-2A, 10-11<\/a><\/span><br \/>Our first reading today is taken from what scholars refer to as Third Isaiah or Trito-Isaiah. The<br \/>setting is the return of the of the Israelite people to their homeland from captivity in Babylon. It<br \/>is the end of the exile. There is great rejoicing in their newfound freedom but think of what they<br \/>returned to and the task that now lay before them. Their city and the magnificent temple lay in<br \/>ruins. Yet, somehow in the depth of their being they are finding joy, \u201cin my God is the joy of my<br \/>soul.\u201d It is the Spirit of the Lord that is upon them that is the source of their rejoicing. Being set<br \/>free they become aware of their captivity. Being set free is the beginning. Freedom is the begin-<br \/>ning of a journey, often an arduous journey. When God is with us there is always joy in the jour-<br \/>ney no matter what the exterior circumstances.<br \/>The word that is translated as \u201crelease\u201d could also be translated as \u201clight\u201d. From the darkness of<br \/>captivity, the darkness of the dungeon the prisoners are brought to the light of day. This is an<br \/>overarching theme throughout the season of Advent, i.e. the movement from darkness to light.<br \/>The Gospel John the Baptist proclaims that he came to testify to the light. It is Christ who sets us<br \/>free, transports us from the darkness of sin to Himself who is the Light of the World.<br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/luke\/1?46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54<\/a><\/span><br \/>The response today is the great Magnificat of Mary. Filled with, overshadowed by, the Holy<br \/>Spirit, Mary is bursting with Joy. In haste she travels to the hill country to visit her cousin Eliza-<br \/>beth. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, recognizes the Lord in Mary\u2019s womb. John the Bap-<br \/>tist, in Elizabeth\u2019s womb, leaps for Joy. We all rejoice in God our savior in and through the Holy<br \/>Spirit. Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-23)<br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/1thessalonians\/5?16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Thes 5:16-24<\/a><\/span><br \/>St. Paul links rejoicing, praying and gratitude. \u201cRejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all cir-<br \/>cumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the<br \/>Spirit.\u201d (For additional examples of this correlation see 1 Thess: 3:9-10, Phil. 4:6, Col. 2:7, 3:15-<br \/>17). The Holy Spirit is that connection of the human soul and divine life. God is not a being but<br \/>being itself and the human soul is the receptor of, a personal sharing in, being itself. God is the<br \/>source of our joy, prayer is the connection between ourselves and God, and gratitude follows.<br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/1?6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jn 1:6-8, 19-28<\/a><\/span><br \/>Our Gospel today is taken from the beautiful prologue of John\u2019s Gospel. Who Jesus is as the<br \/>Eternal Word made flesh is clearly revealed to the world. John the Baptist is not this person. He<br \/>is a person sent by God to witness to Him. He is not the light. Verse 9 (not included in today\u2019s<br \/>Gospel) clarifies that Jesus is the True Light. The Greek word that we translate as true is ale-<br \/>thinos which means real divinely given reality. It connotes a solid and immutable reality of<br \/>which God is the source. John the Baptist is not the true light, but he was sent by God to testify<br \/>to, to point out, to prepare the way for the true light, Jesus. Later Jesus would clearly reveal Him-<br \/>self as this truth when He proclaimed, \u201cI AM the Light of the World.\u201d<br \/>In a similar vein John declares himself not the Christ, (Mesiah Hb., Christos Gk.) He declares<br \/>himself to be the voice of one crying out in the desert. He is not the Word, the Eternal Logos, he<br \/>is merely a singular voice sent by God to proclaim the true Light, and the true Word. He is not<br \/>the way, but again points to the Way. Again, would clearly reveal Himself as God when He pro-<br \/>claims, \u201cI AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.\u201d<br \/>John declares that his baptism is one of repentance, i.e., preparing for human life to interact with<br \/>divine life. In this pericope there is a great articulation of the relationship between creature and<br \/>creator, between us and God. What are the consequences of God assuming our fallen human na-<br \/>ture, of grace entering flesh, it can only be the transformation, the raising up of, our unworthiness.<br \/>The incarnation is God\u2019s initiative and begs our response.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59d500a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"59d500a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reflection:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adff73a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"adff73a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>My Dear Friends in Christ,<br \/>Our Responsorial Psalm this weekend is part of the great hymn of Mary that we call the Mag-<br \/>nificat, \u201cMy soul rejoices in God my Savior.\u201d The prophet Isaiah foreshadows her proclamation,<br \/>\u201cI rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.\u201d St. Paul in his First Letter to the<br \/>Thessalonians proclaims, \u201cBrothers and sisters: Rejoice always.\u201d Our Gospel Acclamation<br \/>quotes the words of Jesus taken from the fourth chapter of Luke\u2019s Gospel, \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord<br \/>is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.\u201d In our Gospel John the<br \/>Baptist points to our source of joy, \u201cthe One who is coming\u2026\u201d<br \/>As we move closer to the coming of our Savior at Christmas we are called to look forward<br \/>with joy. We celebrate this weekend what is often referred to as Gaudete (Gau- dae-tae) Sunday.<br \/>Gaudete is a Latin word that means \u201crejoice\u201d. We pause from our purple penitential mode and<br \/>light the pink candle as a sign of our rejoicing and joy.<br \/>At the Last Supper the beloved disciple John captures some of the most beautiful words of Je-<br \/>sus that we call the Last Supper Discourse. In those beautiful words of Jesus, He talks about the<br \/>coming of another Advocate, the Holy Spirit. He talks about the indwelling of this Spirit in our<br \/>hearts and souls. He prayed, \u201cFather may they be one as You and I are one.\u201d He gives us the<br \/>wonderful metaphor of the Vine and the Branches. He talks about the gift of the sharing of divine<br \/>life. As He was about to walk out into the Garden of Gethsemane to begin His journey of the<br \/>Cross, Jesus said: \u201cI tell you this so that My joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.\u201d<br \/>The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,<br \/>gentleness, and self-control. <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/galatians\/5?22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(Gal 5:22)<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>I see a huge disconnect in our world today. The attempt to remove Christ from Christmas is a<br \/>part of the greater movement to take God out of our lives. \u201cGod is closer to us than we are to<br \/>ourselves,\u201d St. Augustine always said. God is the ground of our being the source of our very life.<br \/>We can no more take God out of our lives, than a goldfish can take the water out of it\u2019s bowl. If<br \/>it could, the results would be the same\u2026 death. The visible result of the disconnect from the Ho-<br \/>ly Spirit is the absence of His fruits, i.e., love, JOY\u2026 Some well-respected sociologists are call-<br \/>ing our present era perhaps one of saddest times in recorded human history. The opposite of joy<br \/>goes even deeper. It is the absence of life that should be there. It is emptiness.<br \/>In His first letter to the world, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis called everyone to return to<br \/>rejoicing in God our Savior. The Gospel is GOOD NEWS! And we are called to proclaim that<br \/>God News with our lives. We are called to herald the God News from the rooftops. Born for us<br \/>is a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord!<br \/>His body given up for us (white) and His blood poured out for us (red) come together on our<br \/>Altar. Just as red and white form pink, Jesus is the source of our joy. Come and enter the mys-<br \/>tery of His indwelling life. Become what you receive, the Body of Christ, and rejoice always in<br \/>God our Savior. He is the joy of our soul.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-588 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"77\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-1024x262.png 1024w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature.png 1401w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a6cd53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7a6cd53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Personal Witness:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fef1633 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fef1633\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Early in my priesthood I was asked to meet with a young person who was really struggling.<br \/>This young man was in his early twenties and was struggling with alcohol and drug addictions.<br \/>His struggles caused him to be expelled from 2 different colleges. At the insistence of his par-<br \/>ents, he attempted several recovery programs and ultimately failed each time. He attempted sui-<br \/>cide on multiple occasions.<br \/>Meeting with a priest was the last thing that he wanted. He did not want to be there. Nonethe-<br \/>less, I prayed hard and gave it my best shot. As I talked to him, he looked sad and distant. I felt a<br \/>heaviness, and a darkness, that I had never experienced before. Was it the presence of evil? He<br \/>claimed to be an atheist. When I asked him what gave him passion in life, he could not answer.<br \/>That night after the meeting I could not get him out of my mind. As I sat in prayer it occurred<br \/>to me that what I was experiencing was emptiness. When I observed the darkness of his eyes it<br \/>was like there was nothing there. I was struck by the fact that what I was seeing is the opposite of<br \/>what Jesus called the fullness of life. Jesus said, \u201cI came so that you might have life and have life<br \/>to the fullest.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/10?10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(Jn. 10:10)<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>It seems to me that the opposite of the abundant life is not death, it is nothingness or empti-<br \/>ness. As I contemplated that dichotomy it occurred to me that the opposite of Joy is not sadness,<br \/>it is emptiness. Similarly, the opposite of the other fruits of the Holy Spirit, like love and peace is<br \/>emptiness as well. The opposite of love is apathy, from the Greek word a pathos, which literally<br \/>means no passion, an absence of love. The opposite of peace, shalom, is not war or discord, it<br \/>also is emptiness, an absence of peace.<br \/>At the Last Supper, as Jesus promised the gift of His indwelling presence, the gift of the Holy<br \/>Spirit, he talked about His love, joy, and peace dwelling within us. As He was about to walk into<br \/>the Garden of Gethsemane He said, \u201cI tell you these things so that My joy may be in you and<br \/>your joy might be complete.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/15?11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(Jn. 15:11)<\/strong><\/span><\/a> In our first reading this weekend the Prophet Isaiah<br \/>proclaims, \u201cin my God is the joy of my soul.\u201d Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. God is<br \/>the source of love, and joy and peace.<br \/>Sadly, when I look into the eyes of people today, I often see the same emptiness that I saw in<br \/>that young man 25 years ago. The rate of suicide today is off the charts. It is not just young peo-<br \/>ple who are struggling today, it is an epidemic afflicting all age groups. It seems to be especially<br \/>affecting people in late middle age. God is what we need! Spread the word\u2026 God is what we<br \/>need!<br \/>From my own experience I can say that when I was there years ago, I did not even realize that<br \/>it was God whom I needed. Something was missing in my life, and I did not know what it was.<br \/>It was not until I rediscovered that Joy, the Joy of the Holy Spirit, that I realized what I was miss-<br \/>ing. The greatest gift we can bring to those around us this holiday season is to lead them to Jesus.<br \/>Each one of us must do our part to spread the Love, Joy and Peace that Jesus brings to earth. One<br \/>of the rules of what Bishop Barron calls spiritual physics is this: the more love you give the more<br \/>love you experience, the more joy you give the more joy you experience, the more peace you<br \/>bring the more peace you experience. The source is infinite and inexhaustible! It is highly conta-<br \/>gious! Let\u2019s start a pandemic of our own! Love, joy, and peace will spread faster than any strain<br \/>of covid, and the outcome is better too!<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-588 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"77\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-1024x262.png 1024w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature.png 1401w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e728f6e elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"e728f6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bbd25bc elementor-testimonial--skin-bubble elementor-testimonial--layout-image_above animated-slow elementor-testimonial--align-center elementor-arrows-yes elementor-pagination-type-bullets elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-788 elementor-widget-testimonial-carousel\" data-id=\"bbd25bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;,&quot;show_arrows&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pagination&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;speed&quot;:500,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;autoplay_speed&quot;:5000,&quot;loop&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_hover&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_interaction&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;space_between&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;space_between_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;space_between_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"testimonial-carousel.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-main-swiper swiper\" role=\"region\" aria-roledescription=\"carousel\" aria-label=\"Slides\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI first encountered Fr. Glenn\u2019s preaching on Ash Wednesday, 2006.\u00a0 It only took one homily, and my family and I realized that Fr. Glenn has a very special gift.\u00a0 Fr. Glenn is clearly very spiritual, and that comes through in all of his homilies and reflections.\u00a0 His spirituality is not aloof, or inaccessible.\u00a0 His holiness is authentic, grounded, accessible and on fire.\u00a0 And, that fire is shared, such that the listener also becomes on fire, and inspired to go deeper with Scripture, with God and with our neighbor.\u00a0 Fr. Glenn has inspired me to engage at the deepest level and to work to find my spiritual path, always encouraging, mentoring, coaching.\u00a0 I would strongly encourage anyone who can to attend one of his Masses, homilies, or podcasts.\u00a0 Catch the fire of the Holy Spirit working through Fr. Glenn!!!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/gf-favicon-01.png\" alt=\"John J Hern Jr.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-testimonial__cite\"><span class=\"elementor-testimonial__name\">John J Hern Jr.<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFr. Glenn has many charisms, which he displays by his compassion, theological intelligence, spirituality, and love of God.  His compassion is continually displayed when he visits the sick of the parish. His manner of prayer and conversation is definitively a gift from God.  His spirituality is very evident when he preaches. His homilies are instructive, encouraging and centered on God\u2019s infinite love for each of us. Fr. Glenn is a teacher, a mentor, and a wonderful listener who encourages those around him to follow Jesus more closely. He is Spirit filled, Spirit led and Spirit giving!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/gf-favicon-01.png\" alt=\"Deacon Scott &amp; Claudia Jamieson\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-testimonial__cite\"><span class=\"elementor-testimonial__name\">Deacon Scott & Claudia Jamieson<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-prev\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Previous\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-left\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M646 125C629 125 613 133 604 142L308 442C296 454 292 471 292 487 292 504 296 521 308 533L604 854C617 867 629 875 646 875 663 875 679 871 692 858 704 846 713 829 713 812 713 796 708 779 692 767L438 487 692 225C700 217 708 204 708 187 708 171 704 154 692 142 675 129 663 125 646 125Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-next\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Next\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-right\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M696 533C708 521 713 504 713 487 713 471 708 454 696 446L400 146C388 133 375 125 354 125 338 125 325 129 313 142 300 154 292 171 292 187 292 204 296 221 308 233L563 492 304 771C292 783 288 800 288 817 288 833 296 850 308 863 321 871 338 875 354 875 371 875 388 867 400 854L696 533Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Third Sunday of Advent The Third Sunday of Advent (Year B) Reading 1 Is 61:1-2A, 10-11The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the LORD has anointed me;he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,to heal the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captivesand release to the prisoners,to announce a year of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunday-readings"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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