In this homily given on the Third Sunday of Advent (Dec 17 2023), Fr. Mathias exhorts us to rejoice at the coming of Jesus. After noting that deep abiding Christian joy is a gift from God, that it is a fruit of the Spirit that is borne by us when we are rooted in Christ, Father also describes joy as the soul's response to the presence and action of God not unlike Mary's response in the Magnificat. In order to pursue joy this Christmas, Father challenges us to focus on God's personal love for us, not our circumstances. After all, God's love doesn't depend on our circumstances. When we realize how personal his love for us is, it not only puts our circumstances in perspective, it also enables us to live in the joy of being desired, known and loved by God.
In this homily given on the Third Sunday of Advent (Dec 17 2023), Fr. Mathias exhorts us to rejoice at the coming of Jesus. After noting that deep abiding Christian joy is a gift from God, that it is a fruit of the Spirit that is borne by us when we are rooted in Christ, Father also describes joy as the soul's response to the presence and action of God not unlike Mary's response in the Magnificat. In order to pursue joy this Christmas, Father challenges us to focus on God's personal love for us, not our circumstances. After all, God's love doesn't depend on our circumstances. When we realize how personal his love for us is, it not only puts our circumstances in perspective, it also enables us to live in the joy of being desired, known and loved by God.