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First Sunday in Advent, November 30th

Getting ready for Christmas includes shopping, baking, wrapping, mailing cards, decorating. And then some of you will be visiting family and friends over the next four weeks as a way to get ready to celebrate Christmas, maybe even a party with friends or coworkers. Just as you wonder “what gift should I buy” while you are shopping, you will also ask the question “what shall I wear” while preparing to get ready to attend a Christmas get-together. St. Paul has some good advice in his letter to the Christians of Rome two thousand years ago….and to us still today.
“Let us…. put on the amor of light!” (this weekend’s second reading) For Paul, of course, Jesus is the “Light” of the world, and therefore you can hear him saying, “put on the amor of Jesus!” And that is what Paul’s advice would be to all of us any and everywhere we would go; or any and every time we are with somebody; or in any situation we find ourself…..”put on Jesus Christ!”
Of course, Paul is not speaking of clothing our “bodies” with the amor of Christ; but rather, clothing our “hearts and minds” with the amor of Christ….our way of thinking, our attitudes, our way of looking at things, our way of looking at certain persons or types of people. Do we “put on Christ?!” Shouldn’t we “put on Christ?!” when dealing with people. That is the Christian way of living….to imitate Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
As we embark on this Season of Advent in preparation for Christmas, we are going to be tested often….to be patient….to be kind…..to hold our tongue…..to not judge…..to be generous; certainly, toward the people we love and cherish, but also the strangers we meet. “With” Christ in our hearts…. we can “be” Christ to one another! I pray you have a spiritually enriching Advent!! -Msgr. Greg