Sunday, Fourth Week of Advent

A New Video Series: Coffee with Padre

By Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S.

Today’s Readings 

• Micah 5:1-4a
• Hebrews 10:5-10
• Luke 1:39-45

 We celebrate this fourth Sunday of Advent. A reminder that Christmas is drawing even closer. For anyone who has been out shopping or trying to get around in traffic, you know things are busy and hectic. There is a buzz in the air and excitement is brewing. Those last-minute dashes here and there for those last-minute gifts are going crazy. It is during these last days before Christmas that many memories of Christmas’s past being to flood my thoughts. All the many last-minute scrambles to get the tree up and decorated. All the many phone calls trying to decide who was going where and when. Were we meeting at the farm or in town or where? One last call home to the farm asking if we needed anything else from the stores before heading home.

I still remember one Christmas when my sisters and I headed home to the farm. It was the first Christmas after we had moved to town. I told my sisters when we get to the farm, walk in and count to five, and Grandma will be sitting in her favorite rocking chair. She will look up and cough to clear her throat and say, ‘ummm, what are you doing here?” And right on cue, that’s exactly what she did. My sisters couldn’t believe I had it pegged. It was her same response each time I came home. She would be sitting in her rocking chair just relaxing and who knows what she was dreaming or thinking about. Then she would realize someone was standing next to her. Even that night in the midst of all that Christmas excitement, she sat in her chair just enjoying the moment.

That seems where we find Elizabeth and Mary. Just enjoying the moment with one another. But it was more than just enjoying the moment. It was also questioning and wondering what all was about to happen. For they both were with child and brining into this world two very special babies. Elizabeth asking the question what is this all about? Questioning why she had been chosen and yet here she was. Chosen by God for something special. And Mary, taking to heart the words of Gabriel and carrying our Lord, Jesus.

A bit of quiet in the midst of all the craziness that was soon to happen.

In our world today, we might be busy with all the last-minute excitement of shopping and getting ready for Christmas. Might we take some quiet time once again to put things in perspective and recognize the gift that is present among us. That gift of Christ.

Blessings on your Advent Journey.

New videos are posted at 6:30 a.m. on Sundays and Sundays during Advent.

All of the videos in this series can be found here: Coffee with Padre

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[Fr. Timothy Armbruster is a Precious Blood priest whose ministry has focused on parish work and retreats for youth and young adults. He holds a Master’s of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and describes himself as “a clown at heart.” Fr. Timothy incorporates clown ministry into his work to open our hearts, to seek laughter and happiness, and to see the world around us a bit differently. “In the stuffiness of life, we need God’s humor to see things anew,” he says.]

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