Deacon Gary Tester, President of Catholic Charities of Central Florida,
reflects on the readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Advent.
 â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
****Saturday of the Third Week of Advent****
Today's Lectionary Readings
"It's the most wonderful time of the year." One of my favorite
Christmas songs growing up, these lyrics remind us of the hustle and
bustle that this time of year brings. Gift buying, party preparations,
cooking, baking, etc., all keep us frantically busy. We prepare to host
friends and family and work long hours and sleep for shorter amounts of
time just to make sure everything is ready. Pure exhaustion sets in when
the last friend or family member leaves and we're left with the
reality that another Christmas has come and gone.
Our ministries at Catholic Charities are also experiencing the frantic
pace of the season, with more clients seeking assistance, anxious about
what the future holds. Our coworkers are doing all they can to respond
as quickly as they can, working tirelessly to assist whenever and
wherever possible. Food lines are long, phone lines are continuously
busy and open appointments are scarce. We don't have time to even look
up to see what's going on around us.
"Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand." The
psalmist encourages us to recognize that love and grace are about to be
poured out upon us. During the season of Advent, we are called upon to
prepare our hearts to receive Jesus Christ, the incarnate son of God, at
Christmas. Jesus is our redemption, and we need to break free from the
hustle and bustle of preparing festivities, from the demands of our
ministries, and lift up our heads and reverence the King of Kings,
Emmanuel, God with us. May we follow the example of the shepherds so
many years ago and step away from the task at hand to worship Him whom
the angels sing about. The Lord whom we seek approaches. Hallelujah!
**Deacon Gary Tester is President of Catholic Charities of Central
Florida.**
Forward this message.
Was this message forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe.
[link removed]
Catholic Charities USA
2050 Ballenger Ave., #400
Alexandria, VA 22314
United States
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
Sent to:
[email protected]
Click here to unsubscribe
