Fr. Michael Vinoth sx
“Discipleship consists in listening to God’s word and then carrying it out”
Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I welcome you all for this fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C. We have been preparing our hearts, minds and our homes for Christmas or for the Second coming of Our Lord. It has been a habitual or routine celebration for some of us, that year after year we do celebrate and prepare but what have we learnt or understood? However, for us Catholics it is really a time to think about the second coming of our Lord as judge. How prepared are we for the coming of our Lord and Master?
As we have lit the candle of Love or the fourth candle in the advent wreath today, let this last week of Advent remind us about the love and discipleship we need to have. The Scriptures suggest that Christmas should inspire us to carry out God’s words as Mary our mother and Jesus did in perfect loving obedience to His will with cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity.
In the first reading of today the prophet Micah, prophesies like his predecessors, Amos, Hosea and Isaiah. He too received the oracle rooted in social justice and the relationship of Israelites to God. the prophet assures the people that God is faithful to his promise. That from Bethlehem He will send them the long-expected ruler/The Messiah. When we come to the Gospel, we have heard about the announcement to Mary by Archangel Gabriel and the reaction of Mary when she knew about the situation of Elizabeth her cousin. There is a saying that goes thus, “He/She who is on fire cannot sit on a chair “.
Mary filled with the holy spirit, carrying the Fetus Jesus in her womb, took the journey to the hill countryside of Judea to Zachariah’s house. Mary is the prefect and first disciple of Jesus. In the mind of Luke, a Disciple is a person who listens to God’s words and then carries it out. Mary did both and became the most perfect disciple.
We are called to follow in the footsteps of our mother. There is an example for us in the person of late Fr. Luis Perez Hernandez SX: he would accept everyone and would not get angry. Whatever people said, Fr. Luis would accept as true but he was not a fool. He was “All for All”. He led a humble life and was a good disciple of Jesus. He welcomed all and loved everyone like Mary our Mother. Fr. Luis also listened the word of God and carried it out in his life. “go to the whole world and make disciple of me.” He took this mandate of our Lord very seriously . He wanted to make everyone as one family as St. Guido Maria Conforti recommended his sons to do. Fr. Luis gave three reason to be a missionary.
- The exclusive purpose of the congregation is its missionary activities.
- Being a religious, we become a single family living our missionary vocation with a community character
- As community, with a family spirit, the missionary work has greater effectiveness, testimony and continuity.
Fr. Luis, in his life, followed the mandate of Jesus to his disciples and, at the same time, he fulfilled the desire of the Founder St. Guido Maria Conforti.
This fourth Sunday of Advent invites each and everyone of us to be disciples who listen the word of God and carry it out in our daily life. let us be persons set on fire by the Holy Spirit, to carry out the command of God.
Let us not celebrate Christmas as one of the many other celebrations we have in our societies, but let this birth of Jesus Christ inspire us to carry out God’s words and commandments like Mary our Mother. Let us be an example to younger generation like Elizabeth. We have to do his will with cheerfulness, kindness and unselfish generosity. Then we will be Men/Women set on the Fire by the Holy Spirit.
+Amen
“Discipleship consists in listening to God’s word and then carrying it out”
Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I welcome you all for this fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C. We have been preparing our hearts, minds and our homes for Christmas or for the Second coming of Our Lord. It has been a habitual or routine celebration for some of us, that year after year we do celebrate and prepare but what have we learnt or understood? However, for us Catholics it is really a time to think about the second coming of our Lord as judge. How prepared are we for the coming of our Lord and Master?
As we have lit the candle of Love or the fourth candle in the advent wreath today, let this last week of Advent remind us about the love and discipleship we need to have. The Scriptures suggest that Christmas should inspire us to carry out God’s words as Mary our mother and Jesus did in perfect loving obedience to His will with cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity.
In the first reading of today the prophet Micah, prophesies like his predecessors, Amos, Hosea and Isaiah. He too received the oracle rooted in social justice and the relationship of Israelites to God. the prophet assures the people that God is faithful to his promise. That from Bethlehem He will send them the long-expected ruler/The Messiah. When we come to the Gospel, we have heard about the announcement to Mary by Archangel Gabriel and the reaction of Mary when she knew about the situation of Elizabeth her cousin. There is a saying that goes thus, “He/She who is on fire cannot sit on a chair “.
Mary filled with the holy spirit, carrying the Fetus Jesus in her womb, took the journey to the hill countryside of Judea to Zachariah’s house. Mary is the prefect and first disciple of Jesus. In the mind of Luke, a Disciple is a person who listens to God’s words and then carries it out. Mary did both and became the most perfect disciple.
We are called to follow in the footsteps of our mother. There is an example for us in the person of late Fr. Luis Perez Hernandez SX: he would accept everyone and would not get angry. Whatever people said, Fr. Luis would accept as true but he was not a fool. He was “All for All”. He led a humble life and was a good disciple of Jesus. He welcomed all and loved everyone like Mary our Mother. Fr. Luis also listened the word of God and carried it out in his life. “go to the whole world and make disciple of me.” He took this mandate of our Lord very seriously . He wanted to make everyone as one family as St. Guido Maria Conforti recommended his sons to do. Fr. Luis gave three reason to be a missionary.
- The exclusive purpose of the congregation is its missionary activities.
- Being a religious, we become a single family living our missionary vocation with a community character
- As community, with a family spirit, the missionary work has greater effectiveness, testimony and continuity.
Fr. Luis, in his life, followed the mandate of Jesus to his disciples and, at the same time, he fulfilled the desire of the Founder St. Guido Maria Conforti.
This fourth Sunday of Advent invites each and everyone of us to be disciples who listen the word of God and carry it out in our daily life. let us be persons set on fire by the Holy Spirit, to carry out the command of God.
Let us not celebrate Christmas as one of the many other celebrations we have in our societies, but let this birth of Jesus Christ inspire us to carry out God’s words and commandments like Mary our Mother. Let us be an example to younger generation like Elizabeth. We have to do his will with cheerfulness, kindness and unselfish generosity. Then we will be Men/Women set on the Fire by the Holy Spirit.
+Amen