Third Sunday of Advent Year B (Gaudete Sunday)
First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete means “rejoice.” The liturgy of the third Sunday of Advent invites us to rejoice as we prepare for the Lord because He is at hand. A recent study says that more people suffer crisis at Christmas more than at any other time of the year. Why is it so? Because people have unrealistic expectations of Christmas and when our expectations are not fulfilled, tensions begin to rise. As Christmas approaches, our temptation is will be to seek all the good things we can get. We can get caught up in seeking out the latest fashions and acquiring them and forget the one thing that is the most important that will bring us joy: preparing our hearts for Jesus who alone can give us lasting satisfaction and joy.
When the Hebrews returned from exile, their joy did not last long. The rich and leaders of the people oppressed and exploited the poor in their midst much like the pagan oppressors. In doing this, they broke the covenant. The nation was in ruins, poverty reigned in the land and their joy turned into discouragement and gloom. Then the prophet announces that God will send the one who will set things right, the one who will bring glad tidings to the poor, bind up hearts broken by illness or misfortune and give encouragement to those who weep, proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners renew the covenant and will bring God’s salvation. It points to the mission of Christ who came to bring God’s salvation to all peoples. The wicked will also receive their reward.
Pope Paul VI was a strong advocate for the poor and marginalized. In his encyclical, “Populorum Progressio,” he described “moral poverty” as the worst kind of poverty. This is not just about those who live in sin, it includes those who do not know God. At Advent these words of Isaiah come alive in a new way, reminding us that sin has made us truly poor, wretched and captives; for “whoever sins, is a slave to sin” (John 8: 34). The Church invites us not to surrender to the gloom of sin and the emptiness of godlessness because Christ is at work in our midst. Through the ministry of His Church, He continues to liberate us from the worst kind of poverty and slavery, the slavery of sin and the devil. This is a cause of great hope and rejoicing. It also reminds us that our preparation for the coming of Christ must include participation in this ministry of Christ and sharing in His love and compassion. This will challenge us to be faithful witnesses of the kindness, love and mercy we have received, and to share our bread with the hungry. We also have to examine ourselves: sometimes we have people under our feet who seek to be liberated, we have imprisoned people who want to receive our forgiveness and to be set free; we have to free our slaves and bring them glad tidings.
The responsorial today which is the Magnificat of Mary continues the theme of rejoicing. Mary’s song of praise is a response to what God in His merciful love has done; the Lord is with her, and He has given us a savior, Christ our Lord. His presence in her life fills her with unspeakable joy and she sets out into the hill country of Judah to meet Elizabeth. At the sound of her greeting, John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth leapt for joy, and then she sings of the greatness of God. She teaches us how to rejoice at the coming of the Lord and sing out the praise of God who has worked wonders. She also teaches us that the joy of the Lord who is in our midst should fill us with joy and lead us to apostolate: sharing the good news with the poor, healing the brokenhearted and sowing the seeds of happiness and joy. This is why St. Paul tells us in the Second reading to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all circumstances.
In the Gospel, John invites us to be witnesses to the Light of Christ who is in our midst largely unrecognized. Our vocation like that of John is to make the world recognize the presence of Christ. We cannot do that if we are not first, converted and joyful. Let us reflect on how we are preparing for the coming our Christ. Are we in gloom or rejoicing in the Lord, living a life of prayer, and giving thanks for the work of salvation?
Let us pray that the nearness of Jesus at Christmas will fill us with new hope and joy that will enable us like Mary to run with humility and share the good news of what God has done.
Happy Sunday,
Fr Chidi Onwuka m.ss.cc.