{"id":13069,"date":"2017-12-13T10:06:11","date_gmt":"2017-12-13T16:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccano.flywheelsites.com\/?p=13069"},"modified":"2022-12-23T08:54:24","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T14:54:24","slug":"third-sunday-advent-shepherds-candle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ccano.org\/blog\/third-sunday-advent-shepherds-candle\/","title":{"rendered":"Third Sunday in Advent: Lighting the Shepherds Candle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted by Martin Gutierrez |\u00a0December 17, 2017<\/p>\n

John the Baptist was a messenger of God. John proclaimed a message of repentance in order for sins to be forgiven.\u00a0People believed what he proclaimed.\u00a0They repented of their sins and were baptized by John in the Jordan River.\u00a0His message didn\u2019t stop there.\u00a0John assured that one mightier than he was coming after him and that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit instead of just with water.\u00a0This is the good news of the Gospel.<\/p>\n

\"Martin

Martin Gutierrez lights the third candle on the Advent wreath, the Shepherds Candle.<\/p><\/div>\n

Do I have the courage, the conviction, and the faith that John demonstrated? Our times are not much different than the times of John the Baptist.\u00a0We must proclaim a message of repentance and of love. However, it seems that we all need a reminder of what sin is.\u00a0 It seems that society has blurred our vision making it possible for us not to see the reality of sin.\u00a0Sin leads us astray from God; it is an offense against him. Sin makes our hearts turn away from God.\u00a0Just like the people who listened to John, who recognized the areas of their lives that needed to be transformed, we must do the same. Let\u2019s pray that God will grant us the wisdom to recognize what is good and what is evil, what is right and what is wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During Advent we await the coming of the Lord. Too many of us seem to be searching for Christ without realizing that Christ is not far from us. He might just be waiting at the next crossroad hoping that we leave behind the twisted roads and take the straight paths that lead to him.\u00a0We don\u2019t have to wait for Lent to do an assessment of our lives to determine what areas are being impacted by sin and take the steps necessary to be reconciled with God. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a special gift that Christ gives to us through the Church.\u00a0Through this sacrament our sins are forgiven, and we are granted special graces to help us with the battle against evil and the strength to be like John the Baptist, messengers of God.\u00a0Advent offers an opportunity for us to reflect on our brokenness and open ourselves spiritually so we can be prepared to receive God\u2019s mercy, and celebrate with joy the birth of the Lord while proclaiming the good news of the Gospel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Martin Gutierrez is the Division Director over Immigration & Refugee Services<\/a>, Education Services<\/a>, Housing & Homelessness<\/a>, Deaf Action Center<\/a> and Domestic Violence<\/a> Legal Services. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Posted by Martin Gutierrez |\u00a0December 17, 2017 John the Baptist was a messenger of God. 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