“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”(Isaiah 52:7)
Beloved, welcome to the dawning of a new Church Year. Yes - Happy New Year in the household of God! With this first step into Advent, we enter a season older than kingdoms, yet ever fresh in its promise. One by one, the candles of hope, peace, love, and joy will glow upon the wreath—small flames, yet fierce reminders that darkness does not have the last word. They echo the long chorus of the prophets and point us toward the One in whom every promise stands fulfilled: Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. We carry many hopes into this season—renewal in our spirits, healing of body and soul, progress in our labors, growth in our studies, restoration where life has gone stale.
Isaiah paints a picture of a runner cresting the hills of Judah - dust on his feet, urgency in his stride, joy bursting from his voice. He comes announcing that the long night of exile is ending. Emperor Cyrus has decreed the return: “You can go home. You can worship your God again.” To a weary people, that messenger was a living miracle. Centuries later, John the Baptist stood in the wilderness with a fire on his tongue: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” His was the cry that shattered 400 years of prophetic silence. Again - good news on the wind. The apostles too became such messengers. Paul speaks of those who preach Christ so that men and women may call on His name and be saved. Their feet, worn by dusty roads and Roman stones, carried eternity from town to town.
But above them all, beyond them all, stands One whose coming redefines goodness itself. Jesus did not merely bring good news. He is the Good News. The Father sent Him as the embodied proof of divine kindness—mercy with a human face, salvation with arms outstretched, goodness wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. His coming is a reminder that God does not merely speak promises—He becomes them.Now, beloved, goodness asks for an answer. Those coming to be confirmed today stand as witnesses to this truth. They renew the vows once spoken over them at baptism. They pledge to walk in the light of Christ, to serve His Church, and to bear His name with humility and courage - a truly fitting response to divine goodness. And to the married among us: you carry a living parable. Christian marriage is meant to echo the relentless love of the Father—steady, patient, sacrificial. When husband and wife choose faithfulness daily, they preach a quiet sermon louder than many words: “The goodness of God does not run dry.” A home built on such love becomes a small cathedral of grace. So, on this Advent Sunday, let Jesus remind us that God’s goodness is not an idea—it is a Person. He has come. He will come again. And until then, we walk in His light. God bless you all!