With the start of Advent, another year begins in the Church. It is time to remember with thanks and joy the life we share, to savour the life that is and to wallow in the journey that is continuing.
This Church Year is featuring Luke's Gospel. For me, the great appeal of Luke is that he presents a clear vision based on the teachings of Jesus.
He appreciates that the end of the world is not nigh. Reality is we are in for the long haul. So let's face it head on. Our aim then is to recognize that the Kingdom of God is here and now with us, who, as followers of Jesus, are entrusted with building it up in the midst of our world, being assured of its ultimate fulfilment. This Kingdom is thus the impetus for us as Church. It is a Kingdom for all, shown so clearly in God's mercy and compassion, embracing the sinner and the other.
This is "life and death" stuff. It gives purpose and meaning to life. It turns everything upside down in our world. It leads to a new way of being. It challenges people to building new social orders, based on a God who loves all, and so based on social inclusion and human dignity. The gospels transform us and our world. If not, we must ask ourselves a serious question. What don't we get?
The gospels put life in perspective. It is not that I am important but that we all are important. They take us beyond our narrow worlds to see the big picture.
A new year signalled by Advent is a gifted time for starting again. Its central theme is that we wake up and get on with it. Stand proud and tall, for God is with us, offering us liberation. Hope is real and alive, no matter what the world throws at us.
I have to finish with an anecdote. After mass yesterday, someone told me -
'Very few priests preach hope, like you do."
I will leave it at that.
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