There are lots of different ways to wait. Scripture has over 162 verses that describe all sorts and manners of waiting. I suspect you are familiar with a good portion of the different kinds of waiting – after all, we all wait. In the military, the common experience was to “hurry up and wait.” We all wait. It is a common experience, and yet there are differences in waiting. There is a difference between expectant, on the edge of your seat, waiting; the patient “it will happen in its own good time and there is nothing I can do about it” waiting; and the waiting of dread, tedium, and despair. I think our, “Are we ever gonna’ get there waiting,” because a flight to Europe can take 8+ hours, would fall on deaf ears for our ancestors who traveled months on boats to reach these distant shores. But things change, the world has sped up. Our culture demands fast food, fast cars, and fast answers. We are accustomed to having a world of information at our fingertips with laptops and smart phones. We expect pills that will immediately take the pain away…yesterday. We are not accustomed to waiting, and we do not like it. Continue reading
Tag Archives: 3rd Advent
Some Final Thoughts
Within the narrative of Matthew, John the Baptists helps establish the identity of Jesus – something especially key during the Advent Season. “Whose birth are we preparing for, anyway?” And this is as important a question for us in our day as it was in the life and time of John the Baptist. Continue reading
Jesus’ View of John
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, lectionary cycle A, and again John the Baptist features prominently in the gospel text. Previously we considered the question John sends along with his disciples: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ response. Today, we can ponder how Jesus understood John the Baptist’s role. Continue reading
The response
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, lectionary cycle A, and again John the Baptist features prominently in the gospel text. Yesterday we considered the question John sends along with his disciples: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Today we will take a look at Jesus’ response. Continue reading
The question
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, lectionary cycle A, and again John the Baptist features prominently in the gospel text. Yesterday we considered the liturgical context of its use on Gaudete Sunday. Today we begin to look more deeply into the text itself, notably the question John sends along with his disciples: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Continue reading
Scriptural Context
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, lectionary cycle A, and again John the Baptist features prominently in the gospel text. Where last week we encountered him as the herald of the Messiah, this week John has been arrested and is jailed. Before moving into the study, let’s consider the scriptural context of this gospel. Continue reading
John’s Understanding of Himself
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent in Lectionary Cycle A. Earlier today in the post, we considered the nature of the baptism that John offered. In this follow-on post we take a brief excursion to explore John’s understanding of himself. Continue reading
John’s Baptism
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent in Lectionary Cycle A. In yesterday’s post we addressed the question “Who is this wilderness preacher?” as well as exploring the relationship between Jesus and his cousin, John. In today’s post, we consider the nature of the baptism that John offered. Continue reading
How can we rejoice always?
I like words and their origin (etymology if you prefer). I find it interesting how we change the meaning of words. Take the word “peruse” for example; people understand it to mean “glance over, skim,” etc. Yet originally the word meant to read completely and in exacting detail. Here’s another word whose meaning has done an about face: egregious. Today it means to be conspicuous or flagrant – and almost always in a negative sense. Yet the origin of the word from the Latin ex– “out of” and greg– “flock” to give us egregious or “illustrious.” Today we would say “outstanding.”
The Promise coming true
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, known as Guadete Sunday – Rejoice Sunday. Divine joy is the very nature of God – creative; like an overflowing fountain – a fountain fullness. A joy that wants to be shared in wider and wider circles. A joy that asks us to join in the universal shout for joy. The words of the introit of the Mass are the hallmark of Guadette Sunday: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say again: rejoice.” The refrain of the Psalm proclaim: “My soul rejoices in the Lord.” The second reading (1 Thes 5:16-24) begins, “Rejoice always.”