The Word for Sunday: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121414.cfm
Is 61: 1-4, 8-11
1 Thes 5: 16-24
Jn 1: 6-8. 19-28
When my Father was going through treatment for cancer a neighbor gave him a poster
that was a kind of tongue in cheek. On
the poster we saw a rough looking cowboy, leaning over a bar with a drink in
his hand. The figure had a scowl on his
face and the caption said: “Someone told
me ‘Cheer up, things could be worse.’
So, I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse!”
While
we may laugh at the sarcasm of this scene most of us would much rather hear
something truly joyful that actually does cheer us up when we are down. That
kind of humor only goes so far.
But
on this third Sunday of Advent we really do hear something that should bring
all of us great joy, as it did the down trodden people of John the Baptist’s
time and that of the early Christians formed by St. Paul. Our second reading
for this Sunday from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians begins: “Rejoice always . . . In all circumstances
give thanks.”
Paul
was no naïve preacher out of touch with reality or trying to be sarcastic like
the poster given to my Father. Paul’s
conviction that God is forever with us in the person of Jesus Christ is our
daily hope that roots our faith. In
spite of what life may bring us, we never give up hope that Christ has saved us
and all has a purpose and meaning, even if we don’t understand the reason for
things. We aren’t just on the roller coaster of life going nowhere or wandering
around without some direction or purpose. So, this third Sunday of Advent is
traditionally called Gaudate Sunday,
or “Joy” Sunday, and is placed here in order to remind us not only that the Christmas
season is very near but also to hear the voice of the baptizer in our day and
time.
What is it about John’s message that is right for us
to hear? The historical context is interesting to know why the baptizer was
such an attractive figure.
For hundreds of years there had been no official
prophets among the Jewish people. The
ones we often hear from, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Hosea, were long past. As long as the prophets spoke among the
people, they recognized the active presence of God among them. Although these prophets were all generally
treated badly by authorities, still the common people felt that the position of
a prophet of God was a significant sign of God’s faithfulness to his people. But for hundreds of years before the baptizer
appeared, no one claimed that position.
So, the people wondered what happened and if God had abandoned them for
life was tough and now a foreign oppressive government had taken captive of
their ancient country again.
Suddenly,
a voice cries out in the desert in the same spirit of their ancient prophets
and his message raised hope that maybe now was the time that the Messiah would
come. Or, in fact, that John may be the One.
So, priests and Levites from Jerusalem appear before John and grill him about
his credentials. What right does he have
to be preaching in God’s name? They ask
the simple question: “Who are you?”
John
leads them through a process of elimination – a search for the truth of his
identity. John, to each of their
questions says essentially – “No, I am not the Christ, the prophet Elijah or
the Prophet.”
Then
he offers what was read as a fulfillment of the Isaiah prophecy hundreds of
years before: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert . . .” His
purpose is to point to one greater and say in essence: “There HE is.” This Voice, as St. Augustine wrote,
prepares us for the Word to come.
Once
understood this identification must have filled many people with great
joy. In the fulfillment of Old Testament
prophecy and longing for a new vision and a new hope, John prepares the people
for the time and the person about to come who will be the long awaited answer
to their age-old hope kept alive for centuries.
While
many must have felt joyful in anticipation, this time of Advent reminds us that
the joy of this time is far more a conviction than a feeling. To be convinced
that God would ultimately work out his plan is a conviction that in spite of
what may seem hopeless or our endless reasons to not be joyful we are hopeful nonetheless
because we know that God has come and is present with his people.
So,
where is our joy today? Maybe you feel
more like that old gnarled cowboy who was a kind of Scrooge figure. Maybe this
has not been an especially joyful year for you.
You’ve been juggling concerns about health with limited finances. The job is all right but not especially
fulfilling and you hope for something better in the new year. Maybe adult children still haven’t returned
to the practice of their early Catholic faith or it has been a tough year for
grandparents and you’ve had to make some uncomfortable decisions about caring
for them. Maybe life has just been more
of a roller coaster than a smooth highway.
Yet,
do we truly believe that God is with us?
Where do we go for strength and comfort when times are rough? If we view
joy as a conviction and not a feeling then we can know that if we are convinced
God lives among us and walks with us in our joys and sorrows. As St. Paul implies
today God is with us “in all circumstances” we can rest in a joy rooted in God’s
promise.
The Baptist offered more than a political leader. He raised the expectation for moral and
spiritual change in hearts and lives. The voice of John plays a key role not
only at this point in Advent but overall as a voice crying out in what may seem
to be a desert for us today.
Terrorism, war, political maneuvering, forms of
corruption, disrespect for human life, or whatever the disease of the month may
be. We hear it all on the news.
But, the words of Pope Francis remind us of good
news strong enough to give us a reason for hope. In his letter entitled The Joy of the Gospel our Holy Father writes: There
are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter. I realize of course that joy is not expressed
the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great
difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but
it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty,
that when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.” (EG, # 6).
Because we are loved, God sent John the Baptist and
St. Paul reminds us: “In all circumstances give thanks.” (1 Thes. 5: 17).
O God, who see how your people
faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity,
enable us, we pray,
to attain the joys of so great a salvation
and to celebrate them always
with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.
(Collect of Sunday)
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