In both the second reading and the Gospel, we hear about turning from darkness to light. The second reading tells us to “Live as children of light.” Light and darkness were often used as symbols for good and evil. In both the second reading and the Gospel, the key idea is turning from darkness to light. Darkness will not overcome the light, but the light will make the darkness go away.

Try this little exercise: at night when it is dark outside, if you have a bedroom with a door that you can close, off of another room or a hallway, in that other room or hallway, turn on every light that is in there. Now go into the bedroom, turn off the lights in there, make sure the window blinds or shades are closed and close the door. It should be really dark in that room. Now open the door where all the lights are turned on. Does the darkness go into the area with the lights, or does the light come into the room that is dark and give it some light? When we sin, we are putting ourselves into that dark room, but by going to confession, we open the door to the Light of Christ.

For the next few weeks, depending on what Mass you attend, you might hear a different Gospel than your fellow parishioners. Why? Because we are entering a time before Easter where you will hear the word Scrutinies.

What are Scrutinies? The Scrutinies are rites celebrated on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, by those people who are preparing to be baptized at Easter, known as "The Elect". They are important and special rites of the Church. Whenever they are celebrated the Scripture readings of Year A of the liturgical cycle are used. The Scrutinies are described by the Church as “rites for self-searching and repentance, which are meant to uncover, then heal, all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong and good. The Scrutinies are celebrated in order to deliver the elect from the power of sin and Satan, to protect them against temptation, and to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. These rites, therefore, should complete the conversion of the elect and deepen their resolve to hold fast to Christ and to carry out their decision to love God above all.”

This Sunday we learn about God’s relationship with Abram, whom God later renames “Abraham”. Their relationship is one of prayer and God enters a covenant with Abram. Through this covenant, God and Abram make promises about how they would act towards each other. They have a relationship with spiritual and moral dimensions. When we were baptized, we entered into a covenant with God, even if we were infants, so that we can enjoy His life eternally in Heaven. God gives us the strength through prayer and the sacraments to live up to our end of the deal.

This First Sunday of Lent sets the tone for the whole season of Lent. We should be reflecting on the themes of salvation, temptation, and trust. As we do this, we can grow closer to God and prepare our hearts for Easter. Each of these themes helps us to see God's work in our lives and to live with greater faith.

This week we are invited to trust in God and resist temptation. We should open our hearts and deepen our faith. Salvation is not just for a few but is offered to all who call on the Lord. God's love is there for everyone, no matter who they are. Scripture states that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. We need to share this message and welcome others to experience God's love.

When we were little, we heard people say that Jesus has saved the world, but we are also not dumb. We have two eyes; we can look around us and see, “Well…things are still pretty messed up.” Go check the news: there is always something going wrong. But here’s the thing: Jesus saves the world by changing, by transforming the human heart. What changes the world and history is what changes the human heart, and that is Christ. When your heart is changed, when your heart is transformed, the world begins to transform.

The “saving” Jesus does, the victory Jesus wins, isn’t a social change, no, it is a victory within the human heart. And this is what we truly need. Allow Jesus to transform your heart this Lent, and that will change the world. Spend time in prayer, in adoration, in silence, and listen and beg the Lord to transform your heart, to transform your life.

In today’s readings, Christ is reminding us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who mistreat us. This is a really challenging thing to do. Christ tells us to “forgive and you will be forgiven,” and “love one another as I have loved you.” Wow, what a powerful statement yet so very hard to do.

Christ showed us His love and forgiveness when He died for us on the cross. He died for the forgiveness of sin, not only for the people before His generation and of His generation but for all generations to come, until the end of time. Again, I say WOW. That is true forgiveness and love.

This week’s readings encourage us to rely on God, to find hope in the resurrection, and remember that true happiness lies in Him. Each reading is inviting us to put our trust in God’s care and seek His lasting joy. The readings are guiding us to find true happiness by trusting in God and believing in Jesus’ resurrection. We are warned not to rely only on human strength but to trust in God because only God can give us the support and strength we need.

Do you believe that miracles still happen, or are miracles something that only occurred during the time when Jesus preached to the people years ago? Today’s gospel tells us about a miracle with the huge catch of fish. This miracle did happen, and miracles do still continue to happen in our world today because God never stops loving us and He never abandons us. When our failures turn into success, when sadness turns into gladness, when we feel like quitting but then have renewed confidence, these are all miracles. God is always looking out for us; we just need to see His plans for us.

Jesus comes at His birth as a Savior who brings life and hope for the whole world and yet there are people who will reject Him and His message of truth and life. His own people (the Jews) will be deeply divided over Him. This, as Simeon says in the Gospel for this Sunday, will be a source of deep pain for his Mother, something she will not realize fully until she sees Him die in agony on the cross before her own eyes.

Imagine if when you were a child someone said to your mother that you would be part of both good and bad things in this world but as a mother you will be hurt just as much as your child. I am sure that my own mother would have thought that person was a little strange just as Simeon’s words must have been very puzzling and even alarming to Mary and Joseph.

We watched for Jesus in Advent; we celebrated His coming in the flesh at Christmas; we praised His worldwide sovereignty at Epiphany, while adoring Him with the magi; and then we found how pleased His Father was in His baptism, we now move on. We now come to Ordinary Time, which, scripturally speaking, is simply a season of following. But first it’s as if the church wants to give us a heads-up. That is, these first two weeks of Ordinary Time point out the purpose of the journey, where we are headed and why.

Who couldn’t use a miracle right about now? For the past month or so, we have been planning, partying, preparing food and exchanging gifts. Now it is time to get back to normal. Christmas for most of us has been stored back into boxes or bins and fruit cakes have either been eaten or given away to others. We are now dealing with dark nights and cold mornings and endless heart-shaped boxes lining the shelves at Walmart.

Through the liturgy of the church, we are brought into intimacy with the Lord.

Catholic worship always brings us to the real person of Christ and to His Passion. It should bring us to a sacramental point, to closeness, to a moment in which the Lord looks at us and we at Him, when He washes us, touches us and feeds us. This, to be honest, is the thing that brought me back to the Catholic faith, the belief that Jesus is truly present in the church, that He is sacramentally present.

This Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday, marking the third Sunday of Advent, and we are invited into a season of joyful anticipation and reflection. It is about developing a life rooted in faith. We should rejoice always, pray continuously, and express gratitude in all circumstances. On this Gaudete Sunday, the gospel invites us to reflect on something unique as the foundation of the source of our Joy: Sharing what we have as a source of God’s justice for the poor. Today, the third Sunday of Advent, let us remind ourselves that the true sense of joy is sharing what we can with those in need.

All the readings at Mass during Advent remind us that this season is a time intended for spiritual preparation. It’s tempting to let the busyness of December distract us from the most important purpose of Advent: our personal spiritual growth. In our responsorial Psalm this Sunday, we proclaim: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy!” Do you actually feel joyful when you mouth these words? It takes faith to experience joy in the midst of hardships. Faith grows from knowing that the Lord does great things for us because of his mercy — not because we have earned it, as we’ll never be good enough. Repenting from our sins opens us to become aware of this mercy. Therefore, Saint John the Baptizer is proclaiming to us today: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” We all have depressing or discouraging times of hardship that needs to get filled with the joy of the Lord.

The 1st Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year. This season prepares us for the coming of Jesus at Christmas and at the end of time. In today’s readings, the Lord promises to fulfill His covenant with Israel and Judah, raising a righteous leader from David’s line. Judah and Jerusalem will live in safety and be called “The Lord is our justice.” As we lift our soul to the Lord, we seek His guidance and truth. We know that the Lord is good, and that He guides the humble and shows His faithful love to those who keep His covenant. We hear about God’s promise to bring justice and righteousness. This reminds us to trust in God’s plans. We see God’s faithfulness in fulfilling promises and we learn to wait with faith and patience. Like Paul we should pray for love to increase in our hearts to live in ways that please God. We are encouraged during Advent to prepare our hearts and lives for Jesus’ coming and to have hope, love, and awareness, as we grow closer to Him. This week’s Gospel speaks about alarming signs, but believers should find hope in these events.