Forming Good Stewards

Good stewards are formed by other good stewards!

Please make sure this is distributed to the pastor, to the other priest and deacons in the parish, and to the person(s) who produces the bulletin.

Bulletin Bites

Second Sunday of Advent

Option 1

"A voice of one crying out in the desert,

'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"

Matthew 3:1-12

Matthew quotes the passage above from the prophet Isaiah to describe John the Baptist. He was well aware that the land to the east of the River Jordan where John lived a simple life; preached a powerful message; and hid from Jewish leaders and Roman conquerors, was quite barren and harsh. It was an area of inert minerals long before it exposed by earthquake and eroded by the waters that became the Jordan River as it empties into the Dead Sea. John sacrificed much, risked all and was eventually martyred for being "A voice crying out in the desert . . ." He called people to acknowledge their sins, repent and be baptized with water. Despite all that he knew, and had the humility to proclaim, "the one who is coming after me is mightier than I." John came before Jesus but he was one of the greatest imitators of Jesus. We have the example of John, Mary, the Apostles, and two thousand years of people who are models of faithful imitators of Jesus. Are we learning from them? Advent is a time to grow in our efforts to be like Jesus.

Option 2

"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fan is in his hand."
To properly prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a cave in the hills of Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago it is helpful to recall our Baptism. We received the Holy Spirit and were presented with a candle that represented the Light of Christ that we were charged to "keep burning brightly!" With our Baptism came the responsibility to know Christ so we can imitate Christ and be Christ to all we encounter. In a season when so many gifts are being bought, wrapped and given, we should recall that the greatest gift we can give to others at Christmas, or any other time of the year, is not the latest electronic device or the newest fashion in clothes. The greatest gift we can give is ourselves: all that we are, all that God has given to us, and all that we will ever become. Glitzy games will soon be outdated and fancy jeans go out of style, but the gift of self will last forever for both the person who receives the gift and the giver of the gift.

Third Sunday of Advent

Option 1

"What did you go out into the desert to see?" Matthew 11:2-11

After his arrest John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" John knew his time to lead them was coming to an end. Jesus simply tells them to report what they saw and heard. Jesus then proclaims the greatness of John, but assures those who acknowledge their sin and repent, who understand and have the faith to imitate what He said and did, will enter the Kingdom of God and be greater than John during his sojourn on earth. It is up to each of us who do our best to learn about Jesus, to be like Jesus, to love like Jesus, and to risk all like Jesus by loving God and our neighbor as ourselves. That is certainly something to desire. It is something to prepare for. It is something to strive for. We can do that by reading the nativity stories in Matthew and Luke before we hear them proclaimed during the Christmas Masses. Reflect on the meaning of God made Man, born in a cave, who is the Prince of Peace. Reflect on how we can be more like Jesus.

Option 2

"What did you go out into the desert to see? To see a prophet?

Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

John the Baptist challenged people to identify and acknowledge the error and evil in their lives. He baptized them with water as a sign of their decision to repent - to turn away from sin and live a new way. While in prison he sent his followers to Jesus to ask if he was the one they were expecting. Jesus sent back a simple message, "Go tell him what you see." Jesus then says that no man born of woman is greater than John, but not because of how he dressed or where he lived. No, John was great because he knew the truth, he lived the truth, and he challenged others, and us, to live the truth. John was a prophet, and more. The role of a prophet is to identify the silly, stupid, senseless, and sinful things in our world and to call for change. In doing that John prepared the way for Jesus. At our Baptism we are anointed "priest, prophet and king." Like John, we must prepare the way for Jesus, for ourselves and for others.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Option 1

"Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,

yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly."

Matthew 1:18-24

St. Joseph is rightly revered for his contribution to our eternal salvation. He must have been devastated by the news that Mary, his betrothed wife, was pregnant, but not with his child. He knew Mary would not only be shamed, but in a small village like Nazareth, everyone would have known that Joseph was not the father and she was at risk of being stoned to death. Joseph trusted God and believed his assurance, through an angel, that Mary had not been unfaithful. He took her into his home and was a loving and caring husband of Mary and father to Jesus. Like Joseph, we face difficult situations and challenges in life that hurt us physically, emotionally and spiritually. How we deal with them depends largely on how well we know Jesus by constant reading and reflection of the truth revealed to us by God in Scripture. Have you prepared your gift for Jesus to celebrate his birthday? If not, give Him the gift of reading one of the four Gospels, such as Matthew or Luke. And remember, Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

Option 2

"When Joseph awoke he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and he took his wife (Mary) into his home."

What if Joseph, in the legitimate exercise of his free will, had said "No, I will not take Mary into my home as my wife. Let her be stoned to death according to the law." Mary, despite the deadly consequences that could await her, had already freely said "Yes" and the Word was Incarnate in her womb. Happily for us all, Joseph received Mary into his home and lovingly cared for her and for the child that he knew was not his own. They are a family made holy by mutual love and courage and sacrifice (the Latin derivatives of the word "sacrifice" mean "making holy what we do"). They gave themselves to one anther, and to us, in total love, without knowing the ultimate cost or being deterred by the consequences. Imagine a world in which every family is characterized by such love, courage and sacrifice; by "making holy what we do" regardless of the cost or consequences - every family a holy family. Oh what a Christmas that would be!