Homilies
Third Sunday of Advent
December 17, 2006
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What’s the Meaning?
Our world is filled with suffering and sin, and without the guidance of Holy Mother Church, these forces would overwhelm us. Without the grace of God, we would surely fall into either despair on the one hand or reckless abandon on the other.
In the Epistle of today’s Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent, Saint Paul commands the followers of Christ to “Rejoice!” Saint Paul himself is undergoing terrible suffering, yet he is joyful and commands his brothers in Christ to be joyful as well. Why? Because “the Lord is near.” God is in our midst even now, therefore we should allow his peace to guide our hearts and minds so we can walk with Jesus.
Centuries earlier, as we learn in the first reading today, Zephaniah proclaimed the same message: “Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” “The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.”
In the Gospel today, Saint John the Baptist reveals that the rejoicing we are to do is not an emotional psych–up. No, it is to be an act of the will which demands a change of life. The humble listeners of Saint John’s preaching become aware of this and respond accordingly. When they realize that they are to prepare for Christ, they ask: “What should we do?” Saint John gives them specific orders to be kind and generous. Tax collectors are not to take more than what is prescribed. Soldiers are not to use intimidation to cheat people.
What’s the Message?
There is no subtlety in today’s message. It is simply to: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The sad thing is, relatively few of us Christians in the history of the Church have ever wholeheartedly responded to this message. In fact, most of us don’t take it very seriously at all. We think of it as a kind of pep–talk from Saint Paul. But it’s no pep–talk, it’s a command. In fact, the same command has come from the lips of our Lord: “In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Zephaniah, Saint Paul, Saint John, our Lord himself are all trying to convince us of the same truth: the Kingdom of Heaven is among us, live accordingly.
But we hesitate. In our pride, we hold back. We don’t want to surrender to God because we foolishly think we know better. We make decisions and do things that we think will “work” even if God does not intervene. But God is here among us acting moment by moment, and he has very specific intentions for each of us. All we have to do is listen and follow his promptings. In fact, if we don’t listen, all our work will amount to nothing. As the Psalmist says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
Yes, rejoicing is what we as Christians are called to do. Rejoicing has in fact been the hallmark of good Christian communities throughout the centuries. As our Lord himself says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)
What’s the Response?
How do we respond to this command to rejoice? First, to be humble and to ask with the humble followers of John: “Teacher what should we do?” This message surely does not mean to put on a happy face and pretend that everything is peachy. No, it means caring for the afflicted, being kind to your neighbor, giving right worship to God. It even means, as our Lord says, being hated for acting as such: “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” (Luke 6:22–23)
So what should we do? Perhaps we could imitate Mother Theresa and really go out to personally help those in our community who are suffering. Perhaps we could do our part to help make the Liturgy in our parish more serious, bringing greater glory to God with more sacred music, more beautiful ritual. It surely means that we are to open up Sacred Scripture more often to listen to the Word. We could start today with the Responsorial Psalm from today’s Mass. It is about rejoicing. Perhaps we could commit it to memory:
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord,
call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
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Contribution by Brother Anthony Myers
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