Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed. 
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? 
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When the first pilgrims landed on the shores of America in November, 1620, they cried out in gratitude. One pilgrim noted, “We fell upon our knees and blessed the God of heaven.”

They had just endured a harrowing two-month journey across the Atlantic. Some died on the open seas. Half of the remaining population died of tuberculosis and pneumonia that first winter. Then spring arrived and their condition started to improve.

This was the backdrop for the first Thanksgiving. 

Trial and error. Success and failure. Famine, and at that first Thanksgiving, feast.

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Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving by filling their tables with plenty, gathering with family and friends, and serving those who, like the first pilgrims in the winter of 1620, still go without.

Gratitude is the reason for the season.

But as Christians, we are invited to be grateful, not only in times of prosperity, but also in times of trial. As Saint Paul says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God.”

We give thanks for our nation. We give thanks for our faith, our family, our friends, and this parish. But what about in times of trial?

This is a deeper dimension of gratitude – being thankful for God’s presence in all things, at all times.

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It’s natural for human beings to try to make sense of their environment, even to control it. But faith adds a mysterious fourth dimension. Often enough, we don’t understand why things happen to us. 

Think about how those pilgrims felt that first winter. Why was it so cold? Why was the land so barren? 

Or think about how people might feel in our world today. Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office questioning, “Why me?”  

Having faith doesn’t mean life always makes sense in the present moment. It’s believing that God is present in all things. 

What are a few things I can easily be grateful for? Is there any aspect of my life where I struggle to be grateful, or to find God?

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“We fell to our knees and blessed the God of heaven,” one of the first pilgrims to arrive in America recounted. Little did they know how harsh that first winter would be.

But when the spring rains came, everyone gave thanks.

So, it is in the Christian life – no trial is forever. God alone remains. The spring rains will come. For that we give thanks.

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Image credits: (1) LA Today (2) Fine Art America (3) LinkedIn

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Gospel: Luke 21: 12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Have you seen the Harry Potter movies or read the books?

Harry Potter is the story of an 11-year-old orphan who discovers that he’s a wizard. His mission is to destroy the warlock, Lord Voldemort. 

Like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and other Hollywood films, Harry Potter is a story about the struggle between good and evil, making it arrestingly human.

As Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather, notes, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”

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“What matters is the part we choose to act on.”

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In the Gospel, Jesus describes the end of the world, which will involve war, division, disease, and famine. Parents hand over children, disciples are forced to testify on his behalf, and so on.

Things that happen because people are forced to take sides, acting on either the light or the darkness within.

It’s a heavy scene to contemplate. But perhaps it’s more digestible by thinking about little ways follow the light – the Holy Spirit – within.

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When someone angers us and we forgive them, we follow the light. 

When we put our gifts at the service of others, we follow the light. 

When we speak kindly about others, we follow the light.

When we testify to our faith, even at great cost, we follow the light.

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I won’t give away the specifics of how Harry Potter ends, but I will say this – good always wins in the end. It’s true in Hollywood films – and it’s true in the Gospels. 

May Christ be our light, shining in our hearts today.

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Image credits: (1) (2) Pinterest (3) LoveThisPic

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Gospel: Luke 21: 5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ 
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.” 
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”  

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Advent is not only about preparing for the birth of Christ at Christmas. It’s also – and more importantly – about preparing our hearts for the victorious return of Christ at the end of the time. 

We can sense the tension building in our readings today.

Strangely, the end of the world is not something that happens all at once. According to Christ’s predictions, it unfolds in three different stages.

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The first “end” is the death of Jesus in the flesh. Once he cries out from the Cross, “It is finished,” and breathes his last, the world has come to an end for him, physically.

The second “end” is the destruction of the Temple, which Jesus predicts in today’s Gospel. “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Less than 40 years after Christ made this prediction, the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. All that’s left today is a portion of the Western Wall, which remains a critical place of prayer for Jews. 

From a Christian perspective, the destruction of the Temple brought about a symbolic and theological “end” to Old Testament worship as it was no longer needed. Saint Paul tells us, in baptism we become “living stones,” the new temple, body of Christ on earth.

The third “end” is what we often think of – the cosmic conclusion of the universe as we know it. 

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How do I feel about the end of the world? 

Often it’s an uncomfortable topic. But Christians must put this into context; remember what is ending versus what is not.

What is ending are depressing things like sin and death. What is not ending is life. The Lord tells us plainly, “Whoever believes in me has eternal life.” Not here, but in heaven – a place of angels, light, and peace.

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As this season of Advent approaches, may we say what we mean and mean what we say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” 

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Image credits: (1) Pacific Hills Lutheran Church (2) Adobe Stock (3) Christianity Today