Diocese of Dallas Weekly News: 12/17

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across the diocese

YOUR PARISH MISSION STORY

Does your church have a hunger drive? Community Garden? Clothe the Poor? We are looking to highlight mission and outreach initiatives for parishes in the diocese. Please contact Kimberly Durnan, director of communications, at kdurnan@edod.org to share your church’s story.

Magnificat

The Song of Mary (Canticle 3) is a regular part of the devotional life of the Church in the cycle of the Daily Office. This Sunday we hear it in context, sung by an expectant mother inspired with joy by the Spirit of God.

Mary’s song grows out of a sense of deep longing for God to stop hiding his face from his people. Israel has been occupied by a succession of foreign powers, the current one being Rome. They are mired in oppressive taxes, corruption, and an influx of pagan cults. And Mary has just received confirmation that God is raising up her unborn son to be Israel’s salvation and the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham so long ago.

We continue to sing Mary’s song as a celebration of all that God has done and is doing in Jesus. In him God is restoring the peoples of the earth and all creation to be radiant in God’s glory. Mary bore God’s salvation, and the Church continues to bear the healing presence of Jesus to a world in need.

In joyful expectation of Christmas,

Bob+

John the Prophet

Caravaggio-Baptist-ToledoAs the people were filled with expectation, and all questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah… -Luke 3:15

John is featured in the Bible as the last of the prophets of the old covenants. He was called by God to usher in the era of the Messiah—and he spoke with such power and authority that many questioned whether he himself was the Messiah.

John was not God’s chosen King (the Messiah), and was zealous in his role of preparing the way for the Jesus. He spoke God’s truth frankly and honestly in the spirit of the prophets of old. His words were a challenge to those in authority, and a comfort to those seeking something more in life.

What John did was not easy, but his reputation grew as people understood his message to fill in the valleys and knock down the high places to make a way for the Lord’s coming.

When God’s truth cuts across the currents of culture it is not easy to stand firm in our convictions. Filled with God’s spirit, John spoke hard truths in trying times to prepare the people for God’s salvation. Blessed at our baptism, we too are filled with God’s spirit who will give us words to proclaim all the saving works of God in Jesus Christ.

May we always point people toward the salvation of our God.

Expectantly waiting for the coming of Christ,

Bob+

Picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Caravaggio-Baptist-Toledo.jpg by PiCo at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons