Read: 1st Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a.10-11 /Resp. Psalm: Luke 1:46-48.49-50.53-54 (R. Is. 61:10b) 2nd Reading: I Thessalonians 5:16-24 /Gospel Accl.: Luke 4:18 /Gospel: John 1:6-8.19-28
Theme: LIVE IN JOY
Today, we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent which reveals the sign of the Messiah and how he is recognised. We are called to rejoice, for this reason, today is called Gaudete (Latin: rejoice) Sunday. As such, for the Advent wreath, the pink candle is lit to signify joy. We are and need to be joyful because we are expecting our Saviour Jesus Christ. He will free us from everything that seeks to rob us of our happiness, be it sin, evil, sickness, disappointment, frustration or bondage.
In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah foretells the apostolate of the expected Messiah. Jesus recounts this prophecy of Isaiah as his manifesto in the Gospel of St. Luke. It reads “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Is. 61:1-2a). When this happens, the result is a heart full of pure joy and so the prophet exclaims: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Is. 61:10). Personally, Mother Mary experienced this awesome joy which is expressed in a song called the Magnificat and arranged beautifully in today’s Responsorial Psalm: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour … He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy” (Lk. 1:46, 53-54). Therefore, joy must characterise our lives as Christians in all we do. When we live in joy, it signifies God’s active presence in us.
One may hasten to ask, when and how should we rejoice? St. Paul tells us in the second reading to rejoice always (cf. I Thess.5:16). For him, joy comes when we pray constantly, have a heart of appreciation and thanksgiving, do good and reject evil. Christianity itself is a religion of joy, and the joy of the Lord is what gives us strength to carry on (cf. Neh. 8:10). We are assured that God who called us is faithful and he will do whatever he has promised us (cf. I Thess. 5:17-24).
People lose the joy of life, marriage, health and friendships simply because they fail to recognise Jesus, the source of joy. We see this attitude play out subtly in the Gospel today, whereby the hypocrisy of the Pharisaic Jews is exposed. John the Baptist criticises them publicly. Instead of appearing directly before him, they send priests and Levites to ask him about who he was. They know John comes from a priestly family (cf. Lk. 1:5), so, they ‘use’ priests and Levites (priestly tribe of Levi chosen to assist priests in the Jewish temple) to execute their clandestine plans. John’s answer to them is straight-forward: “I am not the Christ” (Jn.1:20). “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (Jn.1:23 cf. Is. 40:3).
Instead of focusing on the substance of John’s message, they are only interested in personalities. In life, when we pay attention to the ephemeral rather than the lasting, and the optional rather than the essential, we miss the mark and lose our joy! Many people are miserable in life because they pursue wealth and success to the detriment of their health and salvation. There is no quark of joy left in them; all they see is meaninglessness and emptiness. Sometimes too, people lose their joy when they are overwhelmed by difficulties and problems.
Again, John the Baptist shows another path to joy: be yourself and do not usurp. Moses had assured the Jews: “The Lord, your God, will raise up for you a prophet like myself from your midst, from among your own people, to him you shall listen” (Deut. 18:15). Every Jew lives in expectation of the fulfilment of this prophecy. But before it is fulfilled, they also believe that Prophet Elijah must come first to prepare the way for the Messiah: “I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day” (Mal. 3:23). John the Baptist denies being the Messiah (Christ), Elijah or the promised prophet. He does not presume to be all these. He only witnesses and testifies about Jesus. He is only a voice, a pointer, a signpost to the Messiah. According to William Barclay, “It takes grace to forget ourselves and to remember only Christ.” There are some Christians who literally worship their pastors rather than God. Others serve creatures instead of God the Creator. Some pastors have become demiurges and even gods! Recently on TV, a supposed ‘church’ service had on display the photos of the so-called pastor on the ‘sanctuary.’ There was no Christian image of Jesus, and this was on a national TV, and it is possible it was aired internationally too! John the Baptist refused to usurp the place of Jesus Christ even when the people prodded him on. We see in various employment establishments – public and private – where subordinates do all kinds of diabolical things to eliminate their bosses in order to occupy their places. Assistants and novices want to become masters when their time has not yet come. Why would we not lose our joy when we yearn for what is not ours? If we want joy, we must not pretend but be our true selves!
Another way to joy is to understand that God is with us. John tells his audience: “I baptise with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” (Jn.1:27). Some look for God elsewhere when he is already present in them. Jesus himself says, “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21). There are Christians who cannot sit down for twenty minutes to have personal quiet time or prayer with the Lord, or Bible study, yet they are the first to travel in search of pastors to pray for them! They forget to do the basic things of Christianity, the ordinary things which when done faithfully and with dedication, bring extraordinary grace and anointing! Others leave the churches that gave them faith in Jesus Christ to look for the same faith where it cannot be found. No wonder they are deceived in the long run and their lives become frustrated, shattered and scattered. If we can be conscious of Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us, and create time to be with him, to be his friends, we would recognise his active presence and retain the joy he brings.
Beloved, we need joy to survive. We lose our joy when we do the wrong things. We give in to sin, evil, temptation and weakness only to discover that it is our joy we are trading for ashes. Our consciences, if they are well formed, will never allow us to feel joy in an atmosphere of sin. Therefore, to have joy and happiness, we need to shun sin and evil and embrace righteousness, reconciliation and harmony. Today, as we begin the second part of Advent, we are encouraged to embrace joy. And let us smile heartily as we ponder on Mariah Carey’s carol: Joy to the world.
Joy to the World, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare him room. Let heaven and nature sing (2X).
Let heaven and heaven and nature sing.
A blessed Gaudete Sunday and may God richly bless us! Remember to: #Live-In-Joy#
By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp.
