First Sunday of Advent Dec. 3rd

“Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and all.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12

Welcome as we journey together to be with The Holy Family at the birth of our Savior! Thank you for joining hands as we seek the Advent/“Coming” of the Lord. My hope and prayer and utmost desire (which is nothing compared to the Lord’s) is that you may find what you are looking for this Holy Advent Season.

This time is a time for decision. What are you looking for and how are you going to find it? We must be very conscious about articulating what the desires of our hearts are and how we are going to honor those desires.

Many of us in this crazed and hyper-busy society suffer greatly from a lack of friendship, community, love, and peace. A high school boy was asked to write an essay on the happiest time in his life. He said his happiest time happened when he went out to dinner with his father and they spent three hours together just talking and sharing that time. Sadly, that experience of the three hours with his dad had happened only once in his life.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E. It is about being with one another and sharing what we have to share. St. Paul wants our love to increase and abound for one another. Is it? To what do we give our time?

If love is spelled T-I-M-E, then let us ask a revealing question. In this past week, how much did you love Jesus? How much time did you give to Jesus alone so that he could share with you and you with him? If we say we are Christians and that we love and follow Christ but we do not give him time that is absurd.

As families, do we love Jesus? Do we give him T-I-M-E? If you want love to increase and about in your family, pray together each day!!!! And then watch miracle after miracle after miracle happen. And write and tell me about them and our love in God will more and more increase and abound- all the way to heaven!

This Advent I am choosing to sign each reflection with “Love is spelled T-I-M-E.” This season is all about the fact that LOVE has come to show the way. And the way is LOVE. And we must decide to spend time sharing with the source of all love. Honor the desires of your heart by knowing what you are looking for and how you are going to find it.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E.

+Fr. John