Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

His Greatness Shall Reach to the Ends of the Earth

It is the 4th Sunday of Advent, and Christmas is very near. Our Gospel from Luke shares, “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, and greeted Elizabeth.” This was a rigorous journey. It continues, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb.” Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” The infant in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy. May we all continue to leap with joy knowing that Jesus Christ brought
salvation to the whole world, for all of human history.

From the Old Testament, the Prophet Micah foresees, “He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock.” “His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.” This is a message of promise and hope. We await the day when swords will be beaten into plowshares, and there will be no more war. Please continue to pray for peace. 

In the Letter to the Hebrews, Jesus says, “Behold, I come to do your will, O God.” Jesus did just that, from his humble beginning to his sacrifice on the cross. His message has reached the ends of the earth. Let’s pray that more of us can truly accept the gift of Jesus Christ, who is deeply in love with each one of us.

There is one more wonderful opportunity to enrich your Advent season and experience the final “Behold the Lamb of God” Advent concert for this year. It will be held at St. Katharine Drexel – St. Mary this Wednesday, Dec. 22, at 6:30 p.m. It is open seating, and there will be a free-will offering to support charities in Burundi and Tanzania. This event captures the history of salvation in less than an hour and features many local musical talents, including some of our Kaukauna Catholic Parishes’ choir directors. This is the 11th year that these concerts have been performed in our area and will be the 43rd concert from the group since its inception. Thank you to the performers and support people for all their preparation to continue to spread the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

Peace in Christ,
Deacon Steve Vande Hey