My take on the Sermon of 16th Dec 2012
3rd Sunday Advent – Sunday, December 16, 2012
1. Today is Rejoicing Sunday
2. Why are we here in the house of God & at Mass. It should because we are here to encounter Christ. We are here by grace & God ordained before the foundations of earth.
3. Mass will be nice if we participate fully.
4. St. Paul ask us to Rejoice – it is because The Lord is near.
5. SECOND READING
Philippians 4:4–7
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
6. There might be all kinds of problems in our lives, but what St. Paul ask us to carry them to God in prayer.
7. Christ is ready to bear our problems, our problem is that we do not take it to Christ in prayer.
8. We serve a God who can do abundantly exceeding above anything that we can ever think of & even ask from God.
9. In the 1st reading we are asked to shout for joy because God has changed our judgement
10. FIRST READING
Zephaniah 3:14–18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.
11. We are asked to rejoice & we have no cause to worry because God is in our mist.
12. If we want to rejoice it, we should follow what John the Baptist teaches in today’s Gospel.
13. GOSPEL
Luke 3:10–18
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
14. We should be ready to share with our brothers & sisters who are in need.
15. As a Christian we should be ready to share. But most of the time we always want to grab, why don’t we use these perishable things for getting the Kingdom of God.
16. Note that when St. Paul wrote to the Philippians he was in prison, but he was able to share joy with people.
17. John tells us that we should do right at our work place.
18. Alexander the Great told his soldiers that when he dies they should not cover his hands so people will see that he is not taking anything with him.
19. As a Christian we have to be ready to let somethings go in order to get Christian
20. When we find Christ the promise is not that there will be no problems, but because He is in our boat we will smile at any storm that comes our way.
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