Pastor's Reflection - December 14, 2025

I Learned The Truth at Seventeen

Shortly before my seventeenth birthday, I had major surgery to try and correct a serious problem that was wreaking havoc in my life. This surgery would be the first of many others to attempt to correct this issue.

In 1975, singer/songwriter Janis Ian wrote a very popular song titled “At Seventeen.” The song reveals the torment of a teenager trying to find acceptance and love through human affirmation.

While the conclusion of the song (in my opinion) presents a cynical outlook on life due to the disappointment of feeling rejection and the introduction of a “victim” spirit—where one's happiness is based on how other people react to us and not on the truth that we are all children of God with a divine purpose and destiny (see Jeremiah 29:11)—the song is very well done and was a popular hit because it probably highlights the feelings of many who live solely focused on seeking human affirmation and love.

During my seventeenth year, while dealing with health problems and the death of a beloved aunt and godmother, God, in His infinite love, broke through my disappointment and misery and showed me that He loved me and had a wonderful plan for my life: to become a Catholic priest. Because of God’s amazing love, my life took a totally different direction. I learned the truth at seventeen, but it was not at all what this song was trying to express.

In the midst of sorrow and loss, God broke into my little world, snatching me away from falling into a spirit of despair and opening the door to the adventure of life in Christ.

This third Sunday of Advent is special. The Church invites us to be renewed in the joy of the Lord. The Lord invites us to recognize His love and creative power to lift us out of trials and misery and to affirm us in His love and the gift of His salvation for those who seek Him.

So many people are “Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places” (cf. song by Johnny Lee).

Jesus Christ is waiting to break into our lives at any given moment to liberate us from our sin and error and to lead us into the fullness of life.

As we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, I hope that you too can relate to the intense joy of recognizing and experiencing the true love of God, who loves us intensely and was pleased to share in our humanity so that we could share in His divinity.

In Christ,

Fr. James Northrop, Pastor