Epistle
17 December 2017
Third Sunday of Advent 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Today we celebrate Gaudete! The color rose reminds us that the theme of this midway point of Advent is joy. Even as we await the fullness of our salvation, we rejoice in God, knowing Christ to be in our midst already. It is this joy that enables us to press forward in the midst of all things. Only remember that joy is not the same thing as happiness. Too many people think that they cannot be joyful if they are not happy and free from worries. Joy is an emotion of faith. It is an emotion that gives us strength, specifically the strength that we need when life is difficult. Today, in the midst of a difficult world, we can rejoice because we know that Christ is always bigger than the troubles of the world and of our lives. When we serve a big God who is always bigger and more powerful than our troubles, we can rejoice because we know that these troubles are only temporary, and that in God’s own good time they shall be no more.
Father Timothy+
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