Gulf Pine Catholic

6 Gulf Pine Catholic • December 6, 2024 The archangel, Gabriel, came to her and greeted her as “full of grace!” Imagine being a young girl and having an angel give you such a greeting! It is her “yes” in faith, cooperating with the Holy Spirit, willingly becoming the Mother of God, that changed everything for all of us. In our churches and in our homes, Advent can- dles are a sign of our journey of faith and reflect Our Holy Mother’s openness to the archangel Gabriel’s message and her response in faith and love. The first candle is a candle of Faith , recalling Mary’s “yes” to God., “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38a). And when Mary visits Elizabeth, her cousin recognizes Mary’s faith, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1: 45). The second candle is the candle of Hope . “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:30b-32a). It is a call for us to invite God into each moment of our lives, especially in those moments of difficulties or struggles or those moments when we really do not know what is going on. It is a call to open our hearts and let God truly touch our lives. The third candle is the rose candle and it rep- resents the quiet Joy that we have in expectation of letting Jesus into our lives in a new way and to let God touch our hearts and open our hearts to the Savior, Jesus Christ, who is truly present among us. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For He has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” (Luke 1:46b-49). The fourth candle is the candle of Charity or Love . We imagine the love of God touching Mary in such a way that she became the Mother of Jesus. That is who we are called to be: we are called to be bearers of Jesus Christ. “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42b-43). In each moment of our lives, we are called to witness to that faith that we have been given in hope and in love. The candle in the middle of the Advent wreath is the candle of Jesus. It is the candle of His birth, His coming into our lives in a new way and a fresh way. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to con- demn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17). We may have celebrated many Christmases, but this Christmas is special for us because God has given it to each of us. During this Advent season as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord, let us look to Mary, our Mother, the Immaculate Conception, that we may be a people of faith, a people of hope, a people of love, and a people of great joy at the expectation of Jesus being born into our lives in a new way. SEE BISHOP’S SPANISH COLUMN, PAGE 4 Bishop’s Column From page 3 Christ the King triumphs over evil with the power of love, pope says BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY ( CNS ) -- While world events can seem chaotic, violent and out of control, Christians can be cer- tain that “everything is ultimately subject to the judgment of Christ, the just and merciful king,” Pope Francis said at Mass. “Those who destroy people, who make wars, what will their faces look like when they come before the Lord? ‘Why did you make that war? Why did you kill?’” God will ask. “And they, how will they reply?” the pope said Nov. 24, the feast of Christ the King. The Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica also marked the local celebration of World Youth Day. Fifteen young people from Portugal, where the international celebra- tion of World Youth Day was held in 2023, and 15 from South Korea, where the global gathering for World Youth Day will be held in 2027, joined the pope for the liturgy. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, the Vatican office that organizes the youth gatherings, was the main cele- brant at the altar. At the end of the liturgy, before the Portuguese young adults passed the World Youth Day cross and Marian icon to their peers from South Korea, Pope Francis offered a special prayer that the symbols would be a source of consolation and strength for young people living in situations of war and vio- lence. The pope prayed that wherever the cross and icon are taken “may there be a growth in certainty about the invincible love of God and fraternity among peo- ple.” In his homily, Pope Francis said that passing the symbols on “is an invitation to all of us to live out the Gospel and take it to every part of the world, without stop- ping, without being discouraged, getting up after every fall and never ceasing to hope.” Urging the young people to keep their gaze “fixed on Jesus, on his cross and on Mary, our mother,” the pope told them that Mary is the one who, “in moments of difficulty, is at the foot of our crosses to help us because she is our mother, our mom.” Frequently adding to his prepared homily, the pope encouraged the young people to never be ashamed of who they are and what they believe, but to follow Jesus’ example of love, self-giving and service. SEE POPE CHRIST THE KING WYD, PAGE 7 Pope Francis gives his homily at Mass on the feast of Christ the King and the local celebration of World Youth Day in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 24. CNS photo/Lola Gomez