†Welcome . . .
| St. Benedict's Parish A Community of Faith and Love |
Fr. Huy Q. Dinh,
C.S.Sp.
My dear friends in Christ,
Today is Gaudete Sunday. It is from the Latin word for “rejoice”. Today’s readings overflow with joy. “I rejoice heartily in the Lord,” (Is. 61:10) we read in Isaiah. “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” (The Magnificat) sings Mary. “Rejoice al-ways,” (1Thes. 5:16) urges Paul. Today’s gospel (John 1:6-8, 19-28) seems, in some ways not to fit. John the Baptist’s speech is full of negative statements: “I am not the Messiah. . . nor Elijah . . . nor the Prophet”, but rather, “the voice of one crying out in the desert.” So who is he then? Or who does he claim to be? And why is he so happy? Or happy about what?
Like John the Baptist, I too sometimes don’t know who I am. Like John, I walk among people who may not recognize Christ. Like John, I am called to be “out of step”, “out of place” with the rest of the world; to be, not the light, but to testify to the light. When John was beheaded, Christ must have known something of what was in store for him. People kill you when you point out that their way is not working. People are willing to kill you when you challenge them to examine the purity of their heart. Like John, your head should eventually be on a plate.
Read more--Pastor's Message-Sunday, December 11, 2011
en Español