平安喜樂：The 2nd and 3rd Sundays of Advent

#2025-1214

About seven years ago, I posted an article on my blog, Mookoo’s Home, on the Third Sunday of Advent. Below is one paragraph I wrote at that time:

Jean and I have been grateful that the Lord our God has granted us so much. As the candles on the Advent wreath represent, we are given Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. In our church, we see two purple candles and one pink candle lit. The third candle, the pink one, represents Joy. What a great joy we have been given!

Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye, and much has changed. Now, Jean and I are staying in Hualien, taking care of our grandson James. The three of us have attended Sunday services at St. Luke’s together since July 27, when a Service of Release was conducted for the church’s vicar at that time. Officially, beginning August 1, Rev. Minglong Wu became our new vicar.

Rev. Wu leads us in celebrating the Holy Eucharist and preaches every Sunday. I find that I have come to appreciate his sermons more and more. They may sound simple at times, but they always teach me something—either by touching my heart or by stirring my thoughts. Take this morning, for example: Rev. Wu focused on píng'ān (peace) and xǐlè (joy) in his sermon and offered a vivid comparison. Píng'ān, he said, is like a single hit in a baseball game, while xǐlè is like hitting a home run.

Indeed, just as the three candles on the Advent wreath are now lit, we have experienced what we call pànwàng (hope), píng'ān (peace), and xǐlè (joy) in our daily lives and in our church life. Of course, we also remember “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit”—all of which may be simplified into one word: 愛, Ai, or Love.

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Note: The first six photos below were taken last Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent; all the remaining photos were taken today, the Third Sunday of Advent.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Children's Sermon     (2021)

2)  平安喜樂     (2021)

2)  新居祝福暨點燭禮     (2023)

3)  The First Sunday of Advent     (2023)

4)  The Beginning of the Church Year     (2024)