Homily for 3rd Sunday of Advent (13 Dec 2009)
Fr James McTavish FMVD
“Rejoice!” - a commandment
At the moment I am teaching Catholic morality. Often when we think of morality what comes to mind are a set of rules and regulations, do and don’ts (and mostly don’ts!). How interesting to note what we are commanded to do on this Sunday of Advent, which is commonly known as gaudete Sunday is to ...rejoice! This is a commandment.
In the first reading of the prophet Zephaniah we have “Shout for joy, sing joyfully, be glad and exult with all your heart” Wow! Let’s party! It is a time to be joyful. What can be the reason of our joy? Thinking of the gifts we will receive? Usually we enjoy them for a while but then later we lose interest. Thinking of all the nice food we will eat? Yes but we also know that in January we have to begin the year with a diet! What can we be joyful about? That Christmas is coming and Christ will be born in our lives! What does that mean? The Word becomes flesh. He becomes man, for us and for our salvation! St Augustine said “For what greater grace could God have dawned upon us than that he, who only had one Son, made him the son of man, and in turn made the son of man a son of God”. This is the best gift that God can give this Christmas, to allow us sons of men to become children of God. It is to share in the divine life, to share in the very life of God and for this we should be joyful!
St Paul in the second reading continues this theme of joy. “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Sometimes we find it hard to rejoice because we have many worries. In one moment this week I found myself burdened with anxiety about all the things I had to do. I was taking myself a bit too seriously. Sometimes we have genuine concerns but at other times it can be because we give ourselves too much importance, we can feel that we are the only ones doing anything. We are reminded “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (See Phil 4, 4-7). Present all your worries to the Lord. Don’t say to God that you have a big problem but say to your problem you have a big God! Then we will experience that peace that only Christ, the Prince of Peace, can bring.
Our preparation for the coming of the Lord is not only manifested interiorly but also exteriorly. All the people were asking John the Baptist that important question “What should we do?” What shall we do for Christmas to really prepare our lives for his coming? John gives them some advice; “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none” (see Luke 3, 10-18). Christmas is a wonderful time to remember the poor. There is a couple near our house who organized a street party for poor children. Twenty years ago they had 15 kids coming. This year there will be 500!
St Basil the Great said “the coat, which you guard in your locked storage-chests, belongs to the naked; the footwear mouldering in your closet belongs to those without shoes.” Of course it is not enough to know these things but to put them into practice so this morning I checked through my closet. I only have one pair of shoes but I did find 4 shirts that I don’t use, so I washed them and tomorrow will give them to a nearby congregation of sisters who will distribute them to the poor who live near us. It is scandalous that many Christians are living in excess yet so many have nothing. “Luxury corrupts more than poverty” my African friend told me. How great to be generous, not like the stingy Scrooge in the novel 'Christmas Carol' by Dickens, but to be kind at Christmas to the poor and needy.
Let us be generous, not simply materially but also spiritually. We can help others prepare for the coming of the Lord. Last night I was so happy seeing two missionaries in my community in the chapel late at night preparing the Word of God ...in chinese! Wow! How great is that, to help prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. The Lord is coming “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” (See Zeph 3, 14-18a).
Let us prepare well our hearts like John the Baptist, help to prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of many people. Sometimes we feel ill-prepared, and it is true we need to prepare our own lives first, often we desire to wait until we are more perfect. But don’t wait too long! Even John was not totally well prepared. In fact theologically he was announcing a salvation of wrath and repentance when in fact the Lord came wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger announcing a message of mercy and compassion! But John kept announcing because he knew that one greater than him was coming. And this too is our boldness, and what makes our joy complete. Our imperfections will not stop the coming of Christ but then again he needs us to help prepare the way in the lives of many. May this be our great joy.
Rejoice, we all have a mission and there is work to be done. Don’t be anxious, the Lord is near. He is coming soon. Let us help prepare for his coming. Amen.
Fr James McTavish FMVD
“Rejoice!” - a commandment
At the moment I am teaching Catholic morality. Often when we think of morality what comes to mind are a set of rules and regulations, do and don’ts (and mostly don’ts!). How interesting to note what we are commanded to do on this Sunday of Advent, which is commonly known as gaudete Sunday is to ...rejoice! This is a commandment.
In the first reading of the prophet Zephaniah we have “Shout for joy, sing joyfully, be glad and exult with all your heart” Wow! Let’s party! It is a time to be joyful. What can be the reason of our joy? Thinking of the gifts we will receive? Usually we enjoy them for a while but then later we lose interest. Thinking of all the nice food we will eat? Yes but we also know that in January we have to begin the year with a diet! What can we be joyful about? That Christmas is coming and Christ will be born in our lives! What does that mean? The Word becomes flesh. He becomes man, for us and for our salvation! St Augustine said “For what greater grace could God have dawned upon us than that he, who only had one Son, made him the son of man, and in turn made the son of man a son of God”. This is the best gift that God can give this Christmas, to allow us sons of men to become children of God. It is to share in the divine life, to share in the very life of God and for this we should be joyful!
St Paul in the second reading continues this theme of joy. “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Sometimes we find it hard to rejoice because we have many worries. In one moment this week I found myself burdened with anxiety about all the things I had to do. I was taking myself a bit too seriously. Sometimes we have genuine concerns but at other times it can be because we give ourselves too much importance, we can feel that we are the only ones doing anything. We are reminded “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (See Phil 4, 4-7). Present all your worries to the Lord. Don’t say to God that you have a big problem but say to your problem you have a big God! Then we will experience that peace that only Christ, the Prince of Peace, can bring.
Our preparation for the coming of the Lord is not only manifested interiorly but also exteriorly. All the people were asking John the Baptist that important question “What should we do?” What shall we do for Christmas to really prepare our lives for his coming? John gives them some advice; “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none” (see Luke 3, 10-18). Christmas is a wonderful time to remember the poor. There is a couple near our house who organized a street party for poor children. Twenty years ago they had 15 kids coming. This year there will be 500!
St Basil the Great said “the coat, which you guard in your locked storage-chests, belongs to the naked; the footwear mouldering in your closet belongs to those without shoes.” Of course it is not enough to know these things but to put them into practice so this morning I checked through my closet. I only have one pair of shoes but I did find 4 shirts that I don’t use, so I washed them and tomorrow will give them to a nearby congregation of sisters who will distribute them to the poor who live near us. It is scandalous that many Christians are living in excess yet so many have nothing. “Luxury corrupts more than poverty” my African friend told me. How great to be generous, not like the stingy Scrooge in the novel 'Christmas Carol' by Dickens, but to be kind at Christmas to the poor and needy.
Let us be generous, not simply materially but also spiritually. We can help others prepare for the coming of the Lord. Last night I was so happy seeing two missionaries in my community in the chapel late at night preparing the Word of God ...in chinese! Wow! How great is that, to help prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. The Lord is coming “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” (See Zeph 3, 14-18a).
Let us prepare well our hearts like John the Baptist, help to prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of many people. Sometimes we feel ill-prepared, and it is true we need to prepare our own lives first, often we desire to wait until we are more perfect. But don’t wait too long! Even John was not totally well prepared. In fact theologically he was announcing a salvation of wrath and repentance when in fact the Lord came wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger announcing a message of mercy and compassion! But John kept announcing because he knew that one greater than him was coming. And this too is our boldness, and what makes our joy complete. Our imperfections will not stop the coming of Christ but then again he needs us to help prepare the way in the lives of many. May this be our great joy.
Rejoice, we all have a mission and there is work to be done. Don’t be anxious, the Lord is near. He is coming soon. Let us help prepare for his coming. Amen.
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