An Interesting Reason to Rejoice...

(Fr. Andrew’s Homily for Sunday, December 17th, 2023)

Today, third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally called “Gaudete” Sunday. It is an invitation to pause and rejoice in our Advent season. But why rejoicing if Jesus is not yet come? Three reasons I will propose, each of them related to one of today’s readings.

1.  We rejoice because He will come. Whenever hope is secure, we rejoice in the expectation of the good which is coming to us. In the first reading we heard, “As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.” We know Jesus comes to save us, we know He wants to save us, we know that nothing and nobody can prevent Him from doing what He wants. Therefore, if we do not close our hearts to His forgiveness and His mercy, if we desire His salvation, if we truly thirst for Him, then we rejoice, because He will surely come and satisfy our earnest desire for Him.

2.  The second reason to rejoice is that you are ready for his coming. In the second reading, St. Paul said, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing... May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He will come to give His reward to those who are ready, who have done His will, who have been preserved blameless at His coming... On that day, those who are not ready will not rejoice. Neither can they rejoice now: those who are not ready for Jesus’ coming do not rejoice: they are afraid. They may try to quench their fear by means of noise and worldly joys, but they certainly cannot rejoice in the Lord’s coming.

“Who will be blameless at His coming?” you may wonder... How can we rejoice then? God is not a drill sergeant looking for a stain in your uniform. He looks into your heart. Are you sorry for your sins? Are you trying to do better? Are you taking the steps towards Reconciliation? Do you desire to love Him more, to love more you neighbor, to be more forgiving? May He come today and find you like this! Rejoice, He is coming to save you.

3.  In the Gospel we learn about a very particular joy, the joy of John the Baptist. “I am not the Christ.” It is as if John were saying, “I am the voice, I am His witness, I give you what He gave me, but I am not He. I look like Him: He is my cousin. People think that I am He because I have light, but it is His light, not mine. I am a lamp, not the Light. I am a lamp that will no longer be needed in the presence of the Sun. I am a voice that will no longer be heard in the presence of the Word. I came to point out to Him, and now my joy is complete.”

I think one of the greatest sources of stress is trying to play the savior of the world, or at least of those who are close to us. It is stressful but it is also tempting, because in that way we feel more appreciated. But people’s appreciation is like a fire which needs to be constantly fed so that it doesn’t quench... you can’t stop working, it is never enough. Also, people’s appreciation comes and goes and the constant efforts to obtain this appreciation end up making our lives bitter, stressful, uncertain and sad...

I think there is great joy when you realize that you are not the savior of the world. Mind you, we all are meant to be great: our greatness, however, does not consist in replacing Jesus but in looking like Him, and giving to people what He has already given us. We are meant to shine, yes, but with His Light. And if you do, you will look so much like Jesus that people will probably confuse you with Him... It happened to John, and I don’t think Jesus was unhappy about that. First, because we are meant to imitate Jesus and be His images in the world and, second, because John was a good friend, who did not want people to get confused: “I am not the Christ”, he said. And he truly wasn’t the Christ. Had John tried to play Jesus, he would have failed. He would have been left alone with his own game. Instead, John remained faithful to his mission: to be Jesus’ witness, to give others what he himself had received. John’s joy was complete: Jesus was very happy about Him.

Rejoice, then: your job is not to fulfill the expectations of anyone. Rejoice: your job is to give others what you already have. God has given you a mission, He has given you a place in the Church and in the human community, and He has made sure that you are ready for that. You have just to play your part. God wants to see you shine with His light.

What is your mission, then? What is your part? What is your place in the body of Christ? We need to pray to find out. Sometimes you need to get ready for your mission, God does not replace your own discernment and efforts, even if He always helps. What happens if you fail? You are not the Christ: you may fail. However, if you make a mistake, the Christ can fix what other humans cannot fix. If you sin, the Christ can forgive and give you another chance. Rejoice: you are not the Christ, but the Christ is with you: He became your Brother. Let us allow Him to make us shine with God’s light.

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