REJOICE ALWAYS IN THE LORD
Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A
Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke,
ISch
Scriptural Texts:
Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11
Today
is the third Sunday of Advent also known as the Gaudete Sunday.
The word gaudete is derived from the Latin words gaudium,
joy, and gaudeo, to rejoice or be glad. We find this mentioned in
the opening words of the introit antiphon of today’s Mass, “Rejoice (Gaudete)
in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is at hand”
(Philippians 4:4-5). The significance of this Sunday is that in the midst of the
penitential and somber nature of Advent, the Church invites us on this Sunday
to lighten our mood and to rejoice in hope because the day of the Lord’s coming
is drawing ever nearer. In other words, the mood shifts from a tone of
expectation of Christ’s coming to one of rejoicing at the arrival of God’s
kingdom with the coming of Jesus.
The
liturgy of the word of this Sunday focuses on the signs and miracles associated
with the Messianic age, its coming, and what we need to do to prepare. In the
first reading, the prophet Isaiah, looking forward to the future promised to
the people of Israel, makes a description of the coming of the Messiah. He says
that the Messianic age will be a time of renewal when the curses laid upon
mankind and nature will be reversed. In that time, the wildernesses and dry
land will blossom, and streams will come forth from the desert. The eyes of the
blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; the lame man shall leap
like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy (Isaiah 35:1-6). Finally,
those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned
with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning
will flee (Isaiah 36:1).
In
the gospel reading, Jesus presents himself as the fulfilment of the hopeful
vision of Isaiah which we read in the first reading. When John the Baptist sent
messengers from the prison to inquire from Jesus if he was the Messiah they
were expecting or they should wait for another, Jesus did not give them a yes
or no answer. He told the disciples of John to go back and tell John what they
had seen and heard, namely, the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good
news proclaimed to them (Matt. 11:4-5).
Our
time and age are not different from time of the Israelites. Like the people of
Israel, we too have become fugitives in our land. We mourn daily with morning
in sight. Hardship and suffering have become our lot. That is why like the
people of Israel, we too long for the Messiah to come and liberate us. We too
cry out with the psalmist saying, come, Lord, and save us. At Advent, we wait
for this Messiah to come and save us. But we know that waiting can be wearisome.
That is why St James in the second reading, admonishes us that as we wait for
the coming of the Lord, our attitude should be like that of a farmer that is
waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it
receives the early and the late rains (James 5:7-8). The most important virtue
we need to have in this time of waiting is the virtue of patience. Patience makes
us joyful and hopeful in the face of waiting.
In
those moments when our hearts become frightened and weighed down by the
hardship we face; in those moments when we find ourselves at the verge of
losing patience in our suffering as we await the coming of the Lord, let our faith
be like that of John the Baptist. Even in chains in prison, he was still
sending his disciples and us to our savior. Let us never forget that our God is
always close and in Jesus, God has come to save us. Throughout the ages there
are troubles, but God brings us comfort and life. He liberates us not from our
struggles and shackles. Let us then wait patiently and joyfully for his advent.
When he comes, he will save us and make our joy complete.
May the joy of today transcend into my life and family. May I have cause(s) to rejoice.
ReplyDeleteAmen Fr
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