ON THE Third Sunday of Advent, the Gaudate Sunday, the dominant theme of the church’s liturgical readings is on the call to rejoice.
In the First Reading (Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11), we are called to rejoice with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Anointed with the Spirit he came “to bring glad tidings to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners, announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God, clothe us with a robe of salvation, and make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.” Although these verses were written during the Old Testament, Jesus, in Luke 4:14-19, ascribed these to himself. After reading these verses in the synagogue in Nazareth, he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and said, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The Responsorial Psalm (Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54), on the other hand, takes significant slices in the Canticle of Mary, uttered after the Blessed Virgin said “yes” to God’s design of the Incarnation, as announced by the Angel Gabriel, and after visiting her cousin Elizabeth who, herself, was then pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy.”
In the gospel (John 1:6-8, 19-28) we once again encounter John the Baptist, the disturbing character we have seen in last Sunday’s good news. Perplexed, Jews from Jerusalem sent priests, Levites and Pharisees to inquire about the Prophet’s real identity. Could he be the famous prophet Elijah come alive, or could he be the Messiah, the Promised Savior, himself?
Unfazed by temptations to take credit for who he is not, John stood firm in declaring who he was. He was not the Messiah, but he was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, whose sandal strap he is not even worthy to untie. He baptized with water as a sign of repentance, but the One after him -– Jesus the Son of God -- shall come baptizing with the Holy Spirit.
This Advent, with these Biblical figures on the backdrop, let us celebrate this joyous season leading to Christmas – that golden point in history when God humbled himself to become like us in all ways except sin, showing us in his earthly life that followed the way back to our Father, and even offering his very life on the cross that we may gain salvation.
And that, indeed, is a reason for great rejoicing! In the words of St. Paul (Second Reading, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24), we are “to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all circumstances.” This we can effectively do by “not quenching the Spirit and by refraining from every kind of evil.” And with our rejoicing is St. Paul’s prayer and hope “that the God of peace make us perfectly holy and blameless in our entirety – spirit, soul and body.”
The journey will never be easy, but we rest assured knowing “that God is faithful and he will accomplish in us the purpose for which we were called.”
A joyful Advent to everyone.