Third Sunday of Advent
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.”  A song perhaps is just a simple thing.  It does not need to be complicated. It is ever so repetitive and can be a simple melody, a simple rhythm, a simple tune. A hymn we can all follow and perhaps dance a line or two. However, in the depths of the lyrics, in the emotion of the words, in the art of rhythm and rhyme, a heartfelt story can be told.  An intimate experience can be shared. Sorrow and longing can be expressed. Joy can move us past our heartaches and pain.  A song can cause us to worship and praise. To dance and rejoice. To cry or be sad. To sing-a-long, hum-a-long, or simply be silent and still.  We sing with our hearts, with our souls, with our spirits, with our lips. Our silence can also sing as well as our smiles and our tears. We sing when we are happy.  We sing when we are sad.  We sing when we are joyful.  Some of us even sing when we are angry and mad.  It helps to sing especially in difficult moments and times.  When words escape us, a song says what needs to be said. The songwriter somehow knows. The words jump off the page and into our joy and sorrow.  The lyrics express what we cannot. The song expresses what we cannot describe or say.  The song speaks to us and the song speaks for us.  It speaks our language. It reads our hearts and expresses our mood, our emotion, our sentiment, our attitude. A song is such a simple but a powerful thing.  During Advent, we are invited to bring the song down a notch or two. To be simple in the instrumentation. To perhaps chant a hymn or two. To remain reflective, spiritual, prayerful, watchful. To sing quietly from within. To listen to the ancient hymn placed within us so long ago. A tiny whisper. An ancient call to repent, to return, to believe. A heartfelt song of mercy. A joyful hymn of thanksgiving and peace. It is a melodious tune sung by the heavenly choir of Angels and Saints. We join them at every Mass along with our family and friends who have gone before us in faith.  Together we rejoice and joyfully sing: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”

 

 

Reflections from the Heart – March 31, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - March 31, 2024
Easter Sundayby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above.”  As ...

Reflections from the Heart – March 24, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - March 24, 2024
Palm Sundayby Fr. Ivan Olmo “He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he ...

Reflections from the Heart – March 17, 2023

Reflections from the Heart - March 17, 2023
Fifth Sunday of Lentby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”  At the deepest core of our ...

Reflections from the Heart – March 10, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - March 10, 2024
Fourth Sunday of Lentby Fr. Ivan Olmo “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not ...

Reflections from the Heart – March 3, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - March 3, 2024
Third Sunday of Lentby Fr. Ivan Olmo “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land ...

Reflections from the Heart – February 25, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - February 25, 2024
Second Sunday of Lent by Fr. Ivan Olmo “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”  Perhaps the most essential ...

Reflections from the Heart – February 18, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - February 18, 2024
First Sunday of Lentby Fr. Ivan Olmo "See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after ...

Reflections from the Heart – February 11, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - February 11, 2024
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took ...

Reflections from the Heart – February 4, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - February 4, 2024
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  ...

Reflections from the Heart – January 28, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - January 28, 2024
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo Moses spoke to all the people, saying: “A prophet like me will ...

Reflections from the Heart – January 21, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - January 21, 2024
Third Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God ...

Reflections from the Heart – January 14, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - January 14, 2024
Second Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”  The Spiritual Exercises of Saint ...