Homily for the Third Sunday Advent
Hebrews 12:1-3 is a wake up call to see our life as a race and to run it with passion and zeal and energy and discipline. The author of Hebrews wants us to test ourselves to see if we are running or coasting. Now, running can be hard work. The race can be long. The journey can be difficult. The road can be treacherous. But, when we think about what Jesus was going through in his great suffering on the cross for us, he saw us. He dug deep down inside and said "I love You" and I will lay down my life and endure every bodily pain and affliction imaginable because I love you just that much. His love for us is just that deep.
So how can we finish this race successfully? Today, don't focus on the miles ahead of you, just focus on right now. Even though we may hit those miles where we will cramp up in life, there will be things in our life that pull on us to keep us moving, like our team of friends. So, hold on to those friends, because they are the people that will help work that cramp out of your life no matter good times or bad. They will be there no matter what happens to keep you going just like God. God is going to give you the grace to endure whatever it is that you are going through. We can endure it with passion, heart, and with the joy that He gives to us.
Readings from December 12, 2021
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:10-18
