“Be patient brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord.” (James
5:7)
Well here it is the 3rd week of Advent and we are still waiting. Waiting for the celebration of Christmas, the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We wait in many ways. Like in line to check out our purchases, like waiting for someone to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic, waiting at the doctor’s office to find out what this horrible rash is, waiting for our cold cuts at the deli counter and a few other unpleasant waiting spaces.
But waiting for the coming of Jesus is a lot different than the mundane things we are waiting for at this time of the year. We are waiting to celebrate the birthday of the Savior of the World.
“Be patient, brothers and sisters…..” James says. Be patient? Whoever waits patiently? There is always eye rolling and foot tapping. But if we look at waiting from another angle, like waiting in line for our Christmas show to begin, anticipating the beautiful message we will receive, waiting for our loved ones to arrive, especially those we haven’t seen in a while, and most important waiting in line for Holy Communion, union with Jesus and His body. This type of waiting can be very pleasing. It loses the eye rolling and the foot tapping and replaces it with joy.
Did you know to grow fruit takes a great amount of care and time; most
fruits only have one harvest season. It takes enormous attention and the blessings of God to produce a beautiful sweet apple – the flower blooms, the fruit forms and BAM gone until next season. The attention and waiting in the production of fruit is important to grow luscious sweet fruit.
The same applies to our waiting for Christmas. We want the same outcome and so we wait with time and patience. Knowing that our fruit will last for more than one season. While waiting for Jesus we must be patient, knowing he will come and
delighting in the fact that we have time to prepare well for his arrival. We have time now to make amends, to correct our attitudes, to let hurts go. We have time to strengthen our relationships, not just with people but with our God.
5:7)
Well here it is the 3rd week of Advent and we are still waiting. Waiting for the celebration of Christmas, the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We wait in many ways. Like in line to check out our purchases, like waiting for someone to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic, waiting at the doctor’s office to find out what this horrible rash is, waiting for our cold cuts at the deli counter and a few other unpleasant waiting spaces.
But waiting for the coming of Jesus is a lot different than the mundane things we are waiting for at this time of the year. We are waiting to celebrate the birthday of the Savior of the World.
“Be patient, brothers and sisters…..” James says. Be patient? Whoever waits patiently? There is always eye rolling and foot tapping. But if we look at waiting from another angle, like waiting in line for our Christmas show to begin, anticipating the beautiful message we will receive, waiting for our loved ones to arrive, especially those we haven’t seen in a while, and most important waiting in line for Holy Communion, union with Jesus and His body. This type of waiting can be very pleasing. It loses the eye rolling and the foot tapping and replaces it with joy.
Did you know to grow fruit takes a great amount of care and time; most
fruits only have one harvest season. It takes enormous attention and the blessings of God to produce a beautiful sweet apple – the flower blooms, the fruit forms and BAM gone until next season. The attention and waiting in the production of fruit is important to grow luscious sweet fruit.
The same applies to our waiting for Christmas. We want the same outcome and so we wait with time and patience. Knowing that our fruit will last for more than one season. While waiting for Jesus we must be patient, knowing he will come and
delighting in the fact that we have time to prepare well for his arrival. We have time now to make amends, to correct our attitudes, to let hurts go. We have time to strengthen our relationships, not just with people but with our God.
The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday – a day of rejoicing. The desert will no longer be parched, the flowerless plain will abound with beauty and we will rejoice with song. We will come each day in prayer and thanksgiving until the coming of Our Lord. We will make our hearts firm, unmoved by the common, eye rolling, foot tapping waiting, and we will rejoice in joyful waiting with everlasting joy and gladness.
Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.
You're Invited!!
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CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Our past Music Ministry Christmas Concerts performed by the members of our Music Ministry under the direction of Natalya have been a rousing success and we'd like you to be part of that this year.
The concert will be held on Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 2:00 PM at Church of the Visitation. Admission is free for everyone and there will be a free will offering which will go towards helping the needy in our own community through the parish's active and vital St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy beautiful music and to surround yourself with a joyful Christmas Spirit. Refreshments will be provided by the Holy Name of Jesus Society to follow along with Pictures with Santa. For more information call 732-477-7059 Ext. 217.
Also, our Children's Choir will take part at the Christmas Concert. Parents, please join us on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm for practice in the church. For more information please contact our Music Director, Natalya at 732-477-7059 ext. 217.
We hope to see you there!
Dec
15
Parish Christmas Concert
2 PM in the Church of the Visitation
Are you going?
Yes
No
Maybe
going.
not going.
might be going.
Our FORMED Recommendation for the Week
Movie (58:29) - Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message
The most important event in the evangelization of the New World occurred in December, 1531. Over the course of four days, the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, appeared to an indigenous convert named Juan Diego. As a result of this encounter, and the image miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego's tilma (cloak), nine million Native Americans embraced the Catholic faith, and the Americas began its transformation into the Catholic hemisphere. Our Lady of Guadalupe's message of love had replaced the institutionalized violence of the Aztec culture and built a bridge between two worlds.
Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message traces the history of this trans-formative event from the 16th century to the present. Featuring interviews with leading theologians, historians, and experts on the scientific inquiries into the miraculous image, this gripping film explores both the inexplicable mysteries behind the image, and the continued relevance of the Guadalupe apparition to the modern world.
Narrated by Jim Caviezel.
If you haven't done so already, go to https://visitationrcchurch.formed.org/, click on the REGISTER NOW button. Enter your e-mail address on the registration screen and you're good to go!
Do you find these weekly eCommunity mailings useful and think that family members or friends could benefit? Invite them either by having them text VisitationBrick to 84576 on their smartphone or by signing up on our parish website at http://visitationrcchurch.org/ - we'd love to have them join us!