Dear faithful in Jesus Christ under the gaze of our Mother of Carmen:
I wish this season of Advent is a special time for all, to celebrate and live the Gospel of hope and optimism boldly amidst the lights and shadows of our world. Hope encourages us to continue walking in the footsteps of the Lord, together with so many brothers and sisters who seek, like us, "A new heaven and a new earth where justice will dwell…" (2° 3,13). Christian hope is founded on the certainty that God is faithful and does not abandon his people and keeps his promises. Even more, He recognizes that in Jesus Christ, the Lord of history, a new history has begun in which death has been conquered and therefore there is no longer a place for sin, pain and injustice (Hb 6,19-20). Thus, Christian hope encourages us not to be discouraged in the face of challenges and difficulties., to be witnesses of hope with a more evangelical life and to seek a more dignified life for all, to fight for the culture of life. Hope has a name for us: JESUS, Mr, "Hope of glory" (Col 1,27). With St. Paul, We are wondering: "Who can separate us from the love of Christ?, The tribulations, the anguish, the chasing, hunger, the nudity, the dangers, the sword?… "And also with San Pablo, we answered: "I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor the angels, nor principalities, neither the present, nor the future, nor the spiritual powers, nor height, nor depth, nor can any creature ever separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus, our Lord…" (Rm 8, 31, 38,39).
This liturgical season urges us “in newness” to relive the imperative of the evangelist's words: "Stay tuned and watch" ( Mc 13,33 ). Attentive to a cold society where, apparently, God no longer interested. Rangers face a world where we risk spend a lifetime dulled and numbed by a thousand accidental interests, foreign to our being, unable to wake the deepest meaning of our life. Rangers to open ourselves with humility and courage to the mystery of God incarnate. hosted responsibly in the bottom of the heart and firm hope God only as Isaiah, You can transform our lives and make us able to face the insecurities and fears, to know the beauty, see other, hear the cry of the sufferer and see beyond our interests. Attentive to strip our being of all obstacles that prevent us from seeing the face of God incarnate, living and true conversion proclaimed by the Baptist and taking life more responsibly. Watchers to open our hearts to God with the same docility as Mary, making of our life "let it be done to me according to your word". From these facts we can approach, one more year to the Cave of love and discover that Christmas is:
– A revelation of who God is, a shocking revelation and happy (Lc 2,11)
– A revelation of who the man is, a revelation of hope (2° Cor 8,9). In that Child the human adventure is full of hope.
– A revelation of God's saving power, a puzzling and provocative revelation. He saved us from Cueva and from the Cross (Hbr 2,18).
May Emmanuel meet each one of us in this "today". Find us openness to the Spirit and availability he found in Mary.
An affectionate greeting from your brother in Christ
Father Rolando