3rd Advent - Fr. Leo
The people ask John the Baptist what they should do to be saved. He did not give them an ultimatum. John simply asked them to live their lives with integrity. To the tax collector he says , “Stop extorting people.” To the law keepers, “Don’t falsely accuse or extort anyone and be happy with your pay.”
There is really nothing out of the ordinary in John’s advice. We all instinctively know what it means to live good lives. The story of Christ coming into the world, is the story of God coming to help us do those seemingly simple things that make a difference. His example is all we need.
What makes Grace operative in our lives, is our willingness to take the words of our Lord to heart. To trust that he is here to redeem us from our own captivity. As Moses led the Israelites out of slavery, Christ comes to save us from our slavery to the unhealthy patterns in our lives that keep us from living in the freedom he brings.
As grace draws us near to God, the slavery we are under will become obvious, but so too will the love we need to live in the light that is God. This is our Advent hope, this is why we keep coming here over an over. So that this truth we suspect and hope in will be ours. Today the Lord comes to you in our gathering. We consume him in holy communion and are urged by His Real Presence in the Eucharist to let Him be the Real Presence of God in all our mind, heart and soul!
Come, Oh Lord, enkindle in us the fire of your love!