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My friends,
This week we welcome three new members to our growing group. Counting candidates and catechumens — including children and teens — we are now up to 29, with a few more waiting in the wings. This is an amazing blessing, and we are excited to continue sharing the faith with all those we encounter.
This weekend you will notice a marked shift in the liturgy: the colors soften, a few extra lights appear in the sanctuary, and even the music changes. The Church rejoices — Gaudete in Latin — meaning “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Our readings speak of the abundance of God, and the Psalm sings His praises. Yet the message in the Gospel does not come from a feast or miracle, but from a prison cell. John the Baptist reveals his humanity and the doubts that plague even the greatest saints. When we sit in darkness long enough, waiting and wondering, it is the prudent person who tests whether the light is truly from God.
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Advent is a season of preparation, but also of trusting in the promise of the Lord. A major part of your Christian initiation is testing what you hear: asking questions, maintaining your prayer life, reading Scripture, and participating in the liturgies. But what happens when the lights dim or doubts creep in? Do we turn to God even more — or do we try to protect ourselves and pull back?
This is the ongoing struggle of every person of faith, which is one reason God has given us the sacraments as tangible signs of His love. This week we will look at the promises of Baptism and the ongoing support of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation. For our catechumens, these sacraments of initiation are the gateway to a life of grace. For our candidates, already united with us through Baptism, Confirmation stands as the affirmation and completion of the work God began in you.
I look forward to seeing you all soon — and to the day we rejoice together in the one Body that is Jesus.
Yours in Christ,
Tyler
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Sacred Scripture
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Have you ever tried to be more Catholic? Have you sat down and said today is the day I am going to be intentional with my prayer? Or perhaps the evening before, you set an alarm, swear to yourself tomorrow will be different, and like Groundhog Day, the busy cycle of life stays on repeat.
As we enter the third week of Advent, the Church rejoices, for the darkness is almost over! Gaudete Sunday, when the Church comes alive just a little bit — we see the rose vestments and pink poinsettias. Like seeing the UPS truck show up with your gifts for Christmas, we know what awaits us soon. John the Baptist was hearing rumblings of the Messiah from his prison cell. I imagine it was that glimmer of hope — that all he knew to come was happening. But we see a human side to John, a part we all relate to. We hedge our bets against joy. John asks, “Are you the one who is to come?” Because when we are used to the dark, it can be hard to trust the light.
To be a people who have walked in darkness takes a certain amount of trust when we spot a light. Our fear, our reflexes against harm — the same responses that have kept us alive — make us question whether the light we see is a wildfire or a candle. Think of a lighthouse: beautiful, a beacon of hope to the weary, yet standing on the edge of danger. If we do nothing — if we fail to change course — we head nose-first into disaster. But if we listen, respond, and are willing to move, we are guided to a safer place. John the Baptist stood on the edge of the desert so that people could see a way out of the noise of the world, pointing to Jesus. Will we trust in the joy, or try to carry through on our own? It takes a certain amount of trust to follow the right light — and thanks be to God, we never have to go it alone. — St. John the Baptist, Pray for Us
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Sacred Tradition - Baptism & Confirmation
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Catholic Life - The Liturgical Calendar
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The Liturgical Calendar is more than Colors
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A Feast of Our Lady -12/12
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Resources & Next Steps
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