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The Sylvania Times
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 - Page 3
HOPE
The Season of Advent:
Week 1 - Hope
-Fr. Larry Jesion, St.
Michael’s Episcopal
Church
This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent begins the fourth
Sunday before Christmas and concludes on Christmas Eve. Advent is centered on a theme
of watching and waiting for the second coming of Christ. It is a season for preparation,
self-examination, and repentance. In other words, Jesus is coming, and I better get ready!
The season is marked by a rhythm of fasting and feasts. Each Sunday is considered to
be a feast day and has a particular theme. The theme for this past Sunday, the first Sunday,
was Hope.
There are two kinds of hope.
First is the hope that is rooted in wishful thinking and luck. This first hope is one that is
passive and often involves very little effort on our part. It is wishing for something better.
An example of this might look like hoping that I win a million dollars in the lottery, and then
all my financial problems will be solved.
The second hope is very different. This hope is rooted in faith and trust. It is the hope that
when faced with the most difficult times of our life that we may find the ability to continue
and not give in to defeat. It is the hope that enables someone to get out of bed every day
because living life is worth living in spite of whatever hardships we endure today.
Jesus shared with us a vision of hope in the good news of the Gospels.
A hope in which God forgives our sins.
A hope that God continually seeks us out to bring us back into relationship with Him.
A hope that God’s kingdom is coming.
A hope that God will right the injustices that we inflict upon each other.
The hope that we are loved and valued by God even while the world tells us otherwise.
The hope that we will have eternal life in Jesus Christ.
However, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus also told his disciples that they would be persecuted,
interrogated, placed on trial, imprisoned, and hated by family, friends, and society because
of his name. This hardly sounds like a message of hope for the followers of Christ. Jesus
reminds us that life as a disciple is not always going to be easy and joyful. In fact, he tells
us that to be his follower will be anything but easy.
The hope for me in this Gospel message is knowing that Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to reside
within us, to provide us with the words to witness to those who would persecute us. It is
Hope made strong in the knowledge that all things are possible with Jesus.
It also means that we are never alone, even when things might appear hopeless, that Jesus
is always with us.
Jesus is always with us.
“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13
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THE SYLVANIA TIMES issue 46 November
2022 is published weekly by on Wednesday
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