Ascension : News From The Grotto
Submitted by The Islander (Nathan Prince) 25.12.2003 (Article Archived on 08.01.2004)

Thought For The Week - 14 Dec 2003

The readings this week are all about the coming of our Lord, and the gift of His spirit.  In the Gospel, John announces that there is one coming who is so much greater than him.    John was there as a witness, and to foretell the arrival of Jesus, to speak for the light.  We pray that God will fill us with joy at the coming of Christ, that he will give us the knowledge to understand the enormity of the gift of His son.

We are also told about how the spirit of the Lord has been given to all of us.  This is a great gift, and it is our duty and responsibility to appreciate it, and to understand it.  He gives us this gift with the expectation that we will pass it on, through our words, and our actions.  “He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken.” 

In this season of advent, in this season of Christmas, the season for joy and for giving, are we passing on God’s good news?  Are we doing all that we can to celebrate the gift of His spirit?  When we look around, at the world and all the difficulties, wars, terrorism, diseases, crime, corruption and greed, it is so easy to become cynical, and wonder what difference we can make.  But every little effort on an individual’s part, especially if undertaken in the spirit of God and His love, can make a difference.  Every gift of our love is a gift of God’s love.

We are reminded that God has called us, and that He will not fail us.  In return, we cannot fail Him.  He has given us the task of passing on His word, of caring for our brothers and sisters.  We should be honoured to follow His teachings and to do our best to carry them out.  “For all things give thanks to God”, we are told, because we have received so much from Him, and because we receive so much in return.  So many of our rewards are spelled out to us in the teachings today.  “The Almighty works marvels for me.”  This sums it up nicely.  He is the One who brings the joy into our lives.  He is the One who comforts us in our distress.  He is the One we can turn to for guidance when we are unsure of the path we should take in our lives.  He is always there for us.

So, in return for the gift of His spirit, and the many other gifts He bestows on us, we have to always be there for Him.  It is little enough for Him to expect of us.  We need to follow his example, and give of ourselves to others.  We have to be constantly vigilant that we are holding up our end of the bargain.  We have to ensure that our souls glorify in the Lord, and our spirit rejoices in God.

So this week, as we go about our busy preparations for this glorious holiday season, let us keep in mind God’s instructions.   Let us prove to our Lord, that we are among His faithful ones by our words and our actions.  Let us look forward to the birthday of Christ, and let us celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. 

'The Islander' wishes to apologise for the omission of this article in the last issue.

There will be no Sunday services at the Grotto until January.  There will be a Christmas Eve service at 7:30 pm.  I would like to wish everyone a safe, happy and holy Christmas.