3rd Sunday of Advent – Dec 13, 2015

Zeph. 3:14-18a; Phil. 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18

A few years ago The Reader’s Digest reported the story of an attractive and successful business woman who noticed a small lump behind her ear as she was brushing her hair one morning.  As the days went on, she noticed that the lump was getting larger, so she decided to see her doctor.  Her worst fears were confirmed.  The doctor told her that the lump was a large tumor that would require immediate surgery.  When she awoke following the surgery, she found her entire head wrapped like that of a mummy.  She could see herself in a mirror only through two tiny holes cut into the wrapping.  When the bandages were removed after a week she was shocked to see that her once attractive features had become disfigured by a facial paralysis caused perhaps by damage to facial nerves during the removal of the tumor.  Standing before the mirror, she told herself that she had to make a choice whether to laugh or to cry.  She decided to laugh.  Although the various therapies tried were unsuccessful in alleviating the facial paralysis, the decision to laugh in the face of adversity allowed this woman to carry on with her life with joy, giving encouragement to those with similar paralysis.

Introduction: Today is called “Gaudete” Sunday because today’s Mass begins with the opening antiphon, “Gaudete in Domino semper” (“Rejoice in the Lord always”). Today we light the rose candle of the Advent wreath, and the priest may wear rose vestments to express our communal joy in the coming of Jesus, as our Savior.  The theme of the third Sunday of Advent is rejoicing in hope.  Advent is a time for joy, not only because we are anticipating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, but also because God is already in our midst.  Christian joy does not come from the absence of sorrow, pain or trouble, but from an awareness of the presence of Christ within our souls.  In today’s first reading, the prophet Zephaniah says, "Shout for joy, O Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel.” Zephaniah made this prophetic proclamation at the height of the Jewish exile when things appeared hopeless and unbearable.  The instruction is repeated in the response to the Psalm, "Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."  St. Paul echoes the same message of joy in the second reading, taken from his letter to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I shall say it again, rejoice...  The Lord is in your midst…  Fear not… be not discouraged...  The Lord is near.  Have no anxiety at all…”  Paul was imprisoned when he made this appeal for rejoicing.  In the gospel today, John the Baptist explains the secret of Christian joy as wholehearted commitment to God’s way by doing His will.   A sad Christian is a contradiction in terms.  According to the Baptizer, happiness comes from doing our duties faithfully, doing good to others and sharing our blessings with others. John’s call to repentance is a call to joy and restoration.  Repentance means a change in the purpose and direction of our lives.  Filled with joyful expectation that the Messiah was near, the people asked John, “What should we do?”  He told them to act with justice, charity and honesty, letting their lives reflect their transformation.  For us, that transformation occurs when Christ enters our lives, and it is to be reflected in our living in the ways John suggested.

First reading, Zephaniah 3:14-18: Most Bible scholars believe that Zephaniah prophesied about 600 years before Jesus was born, while King Josiah was trying to reform Judaism.  Zephaniah’s prophecy is four parts doom and violent gloom, and one part hope.  Our reading today is from the hopeful finale, encouraging people to rejoice because the Lord has withdrawn his judgments and given the victory to his people.  Zephaniah is speaking to a people who have been burdened with war, destruction and displacement.  Their lives have been assaulted and their hopes have been dashed.  This is how he explains the reasons they will have for rejoicing: "The Lord has removed the judgment against you" (in other words, God has forgiven them); and "the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst" (that is to say, God is with them); "you have no further misfortune to fear" (i.e., He delivers them from evil).  The prophet concludes by giving the assurance, “He will rejoice over you and renew you in His love" (He loves you and wants to reconcile you to Himself).  The whole reading gives us the same assurance. Skepticism about war and terrorism, and the erosion of moral values, need not prevent us from trusting that God will encircle us with love and will grant us the peace we so desperately seek. 

Second Reading, Philippians 4: 4-7: The entire letter emphasizes the relationships which the followers of Jesus are expected to develop.  Paul was very fond of, and confident in, the Philippian Christians because they belonged to the first church that Paul established on European soil, in the Roman province of Macedonia.  Previously, Paul had preached the gospel in Philippi and founded a small community of Christians there.  Having been persecuted and beaten by the Pharisees, however, he had been forced to leave.  Now, writing from prison (perhaps in Ephesus), awaiting trial, and with his helper Epaphroditus seriously ill, Paul can still command the Philippians to “Rejoice.”  Since they believe that Jesus will return very soon in glory to judge the world ("The Lord is near"), Paul feels the need to bolster their courage. He reminds the Philippians and us that the Lord Jesus is the motive and guarantee of our joy, which is to be shared with everyone in the form of kindness and serenity. He encourages the Philippians to be kind to all, to rejoice without any anxiety and to raise prayers of petition and thanksgiving to God in order to enable their hearts to be filled with the peace of God. Paul reminds us, too, that God's presence in our world not only gives us a reason to rejoice, it also gives us a reason to relate kindly to those around us.  Fr. Tony de Mello says in his book, Awareness, “We have everything we need here and now to be happy.  The problem is that we identify our happiness with people or things we don't have and often can't have.”

Exegesis: John’s central message: repentance leading to renewal of life:  John preached fervently, urging his listeners to make preparations for the coming of the Messiah.  Even though John’s preaching was characterized by scathing criticism, his call for reform is still described by Luke as "the good news," because the arrival of the Messiah will initiate a new reign of forgiveness, healing and salvation.  The repentance which John preached called for a change in behavior and not just regret for the past. According to Scot Hahn “Repentance” translates a Greek word, metanoia (literally, “change of mind”) . It means a radical life-change involving a two-fold “turning” - away from sin (see Ezekiel 3:19; 18:30) and toward God (see Sirach 17:20-21; Hosea 6:1). It requires “good fruits as evidence of our repentance” (see Luke 3:8). That’s why John told the crowds, soldiers and tax collectors they must prove their faith through works of charity, honesty and social justice.  John demanded that men should share their goods with one another, emphasizing the principle of social justice that God will never absolve the man who is content to have too much while others have too little.  John also insisted that a man should not leave his job to work out his own salvation.  Instead, he should do his job as it should be done.  He called people to fidelity in the very circumstances of their lives.  Let the tax-collector be a good tax-collector and let the soldier be a good soldier.  In other words, it was a man's duty to serve God where God had set him.  “Bloom where you are planted,” St. Francis De Sales used to say.  We are expected to become transformational agents where we are.  But if the work environment is such that we are unable to deal honestly and fairly with other people, we should probably find a new job.  No wonder, John’s stirring message created a restless yearning for God in the hearts of the crowd, prompting them to ask the eager question, “What should we do?” People from every walk of life thronged to him.  While some, no doubt, came out of curiosity, others were clearly motivated by religious fervor, and sought John’s advice about the direction their lives should take.  So he had a message for each group of listeners.

Instructions to the general public: John told the ordinary people to share what they had - their clothes and food - with those who were in need.  If they were really sorry for their sins, that is, if they really wanted to change their lives, they would become brothers and sisters to all others, including strangers.  We might consider what we could share with others this Christmas.

Instructions to the tax collectors: John preached against greed, selfishness and the abuse of power and position.  The tax collectors, to whom the Baptizer speaks here, worked for a person like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2), a "chief" tax collector who bid for the right to collect taxes and to  make his profit from what remained  after he had first paid Rome’s portion.  So the Baptizer addressed mainly the employees of the chief tax collectors and urged them to be satisfied with "the amount prescribed for you" (Luke 3:13), that is, their commission.

Advice to the soldiers: There were no Roman legions stationed in Palestine at this time, and Palestinian Judeans had been exempt from service in Roman armies since the time of Julius Caesar.  These soldiers, therefore, were Judean men enlisted in the service of Herod Antipas.  They were despised because they worked for Rome's puppet king and strove to enforce the will of Rome, the occupying power, upon their fellow-Jews.  The Baptizer advised them not to practice extortion or blackmail, but to be content with their pay, or rations and provisions.

Life Messages:  1) We are called to a change of life.  John the Baptist, the stern and uncompromising preacher, challenges our superficial attempts at change, demanding that we take a deeper look.  Obeying the commandments is a good start, but we must then examine our relationships with others.  We must mend ruptures and frictions, face family responsibilities, work honestly and treat employees justly.  Start where you are, John says.  Our domestic and social lives must be put in order.  John's voice is sober and runs counter to the intoxicating voices around us.  He calls for rectitude and social consciousness.   We must abandon our selfish thirst for consumption, and instead, be filled with the expectation of Jesus' coming.  Hence, let us celebrate the memory of Jesus' first advent  at Bethlehem, prepare for his daily advent in our lives through his presence within us and in people around us, and wait for his third advent or “second coming” (“Parousia”) at the end of the world, with joyful expectation.

2) We need to remember that we are, like John the Baptist, Christ’s precursors: Parents, teachers and public servants are also Christ’s precursors, carrying out the mission of bringing to Christ those entrusted to their care.  Parents are expected to instill in their children a true Christian spirit and an appreciation for Christian values by their own lives and behavior.  Teachers, too, have to play the role of John the Baptist.  A Christian teacher must be always aware of being Christian in the presence of students, whatever the subject being taught, so that his or her Christian personality may leave a lasting impression on his or her students.  All public servants are to remember that they are God's instruments and that they are to lead the people they serve to the feet of Jesus, so that they may know Him personally as Savior, Lord and Brother. A nurse is not to hold back compassion from those deemed “not worthy.”  A teacher is to teach with enthusiasm and love.  A salesperson is not to present the product as more valuable than it is, nor to overcharge people for products or services.  Leaders are not to hold themselves above others.  Anyone who has more of anything than he or she needs should share it.
 
3) What should we do in preparation for Christmas?  This is the same question the Jews asked John.  His answer, to them and to us, is the same:   repent and reform your lives, and prayerfully wait for the Messiah.  Our Blessed Mother, in her many apparitions, urgently calls us to more fervent prayer.  Let us remember that the Mass is the most powerful of prayers.  We must be a Eucharistic people, living and experiencing the presence of Jesus in our hearts.  Let us remember that conversion is through Jesus, whom we encounter in the sacraments.  Regular monthly Confession makes us strong and enables us to receive more grace in the Eucharist.  Let us read the Bible and pray the rosary daily.  We might also fast once a week all year round, rather than just in Advent and Lent; after all, we sin all year round!  Let us have the courage of our Christian convictions to turn off TV programs that show explicit sexual behavior, violence and the use of foul language.  Let us spend some time every week in adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  Let us forgive those who offend us and pray for them.  Finally, let us share our love with others as selfless and humble service.  "Do small things but with great love" (Mother Teresa).

Soren Kierkegaard the famous philosopher of Denmark has a famous fable about geese. The geese in a certain farmyard decided to gather together every seventh day. At that time one of the ganders would mount the fence and preach to his fellow geese about their lofty destiny. The pulpit goose would recall the exploits of their forefathers and praise God for the gift of flight bestowed upon them. The congregation of fowl would flap their wings in hearty agreement. This routine happened every week. After each assembly the geese would break up and waddle to their respective places in the farmyard and eat the grain the kind farmer had scattered on the ground for them. On Monday morning the geese would chat about Sunday's sermon and discuss what might happen if they took to the skies once again. They might get lost or even worse, they might get shot. There was little doubt among them that the best thing was to linger in the farmyard with its security. The sermons would stir them and that was sufficient. It was good to hear what they could be and do as long as they need not do it or be it. All the while they didn't realize they were being fattened for the holiday tables of the farmer and his friends. That not only happened in a fable on fowl, but can happen all too frequently in a church service on Sunday. The people were told simply what they must do. When John was through preaching, the people asked questions about deeds ... what they should do. They had been so guided in their thoughts that they were prompted by God's Spirit to do that which was pleasing to the Lord.

(Source: Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil)