Today is the Third Sunday before Advent. In the reading from Luke’s Gospel, after entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus is embroiled in a theological argument, in an established dispute between Sadducees and Pharisees regarding the afterlife.  The Sadducees try to demonstrate that strict adherence to the Law of Moses makes belief in the afterlife absurd.  Jesus indicates that their argument misrepresents the afterlife. Jesus maintains that the afterlife is of a different order from this life. 

For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of butterflies. In today’s picture from his book, The rainy day, Teddy Horsley and Betsy Bear are sitting outside and enjoy watching the butterflies.  

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Lord Jesus Christ, 

to your reign there is no end. 

Rejoicing with all your followers 

who have gone before us in the way, 

we pray that we may be one with them 

as we share in your eucharistic feast; 

for you are our God, now and for ever. 

Amen. 

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Next week, the Second Sunday before Advent, the reading from Luke’s Gospel presents Jesus’ teaching about signs and persecutions. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is bullying. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.  

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