Gaudete Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near (Phil. 4:4-5).

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you" (Phil 4:6-9).

For both of my readers, I will only post sparsely between now and the end of the year, but tomorrow, the Feast of Santa Lucia, will be one of those times, plus our Friday music, which may well be all until next Sunday. I plan to post a Καθολικός διάκονος year in review post, a few Nativity posts, and my homily for the Feast of the Holy Family and, as always, something on my patron St. Stephen, whose feast this year is superceded because it falls on a Sunday.

Tomorrow we round the bend of the Nativity Fast, a time that we intesify our preparation for the Nativity of the Lord, Jesus Christ. In conjunction with what else I am doing, I am taking a hiatus from Facebook, except to post the links to what I put up here on the blog on my FB Καθολικός διάκονος page. I need to pray about how to proceed in the New Year with my on-line apostolate. I am thinking less is more, which is a good principle, but how do I heed it? This will be my focal point. So, we'll see what's in store. As Bob Dylan sang so ironically- "it's all good."

REJOICE! The Lord is near.