I asked Father John Scott, who is part of the ministry team, to share his thoughts on Advent. He said:
For many, the second Sunday of Advent is when we light the candle of peace. This is a time of coming together, of building a community of faith that is open to all. This is why we see Christmas movies telling a story of restoration, of broken relationships that are healed.
We as individuals are all needy in one way or another, we alone can’t sustain the Church, or the people to whom Christ through the Church is reaching out to; that is, all, who make up humanity.
From the account of the feeding of the five thousand, we learn that Jesus Christ is all-sufficient, able to meet the needs of mankind. Christ works in the world to meet the needs of the world through all those who offer of the own inadequate resources, whatever they have, be it even a humble packed lunch, to Him.
This what is means to a Christian, about turning to Christ, about coming to Christ in the Bread and Wine of the Sacrament, not merely for our comfort of here and now. By this I mean, not as a fix for those things that, one may feel are wrong in your life, such as work, finding a partner or a healing, but for His promise of eternal life, which is heaven.
As we eat the bread of life, at the Eucharist, we don’t know how exactly this works to sustain us; but in just such a way do we need to trust Him, for eternal life. (John 6:35), “I am the 4 bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and He who believes in Me will never thirst.”
Not only should we trust Jesus Christ, as simply as this, but also, we are to offer what we have to Him, for His Service, that is to help others. To minister to others, there are many different forms of ministry that make up the Church, and just as Jesus tied a cloth and bathed the disciples’ feet, before the Last Supper, taking on the work of the lowliest of servants, so should we also get involved, and in so doing, we will be opening the way to Christ for others. As we live our Christian life, we should seek to be of service to God, who’ll be there throughout our life, supplying us with the Bread of Life, all that we need to sustain us for the journey.
We give thanks for Fr. John's ministry amongst us.
Every Blessing
Fr. Paul