Homily Third Sunday of Advent Year B: Fr.
Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
Isaiah
61: 1-2a, 10-11;
·
Ps /Luke 1:46-50, 53-54;
·
1 Thes 5:16-24
·
John
1:6-8, 19-28.
Expecting the Lord with Joy!
When
we expect an important guest or anticipate an appointment, there is always that
natural tendency or social protocol, to call back and forth in order to confirm
the arrival of our guest or confirm our appointments. When our guest
finally arrives or appointment successfully met it brings us joy and happiness.
Today’s celebration, Gaudete Sunday of Advent in the light of today’s scripture
communicates not just hope but joy and happiness of freedom in Christ’s birth.
The joyful mysteries, well captured by Saint Paul in the second reading when he
says to the Thessalonians “Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. Give thanks to
God in every circumstances.” Perhaps, what Pope Francis would called, “the Joy
of the Gospel”!
Even though this is Advent, we must make it a
joyful and a prayerful Advent. What brings us joy and happiness during Advent
is the fact that Our Lord is near; the birth of our Savior is at hand. He comes
to free us. He comes to forgive us. He comes to liberate us. He comes to bless
us. He comes with peace and justice lacking in the world and in our families
today. This is who God is, accompanying his people throughout history.
He
accompanied the ancient Israel as they return from humiliation, and exile to
rebuild their temple. Speaking on behalf
of YHWH, Isaiah assures the homeless, the captives, the poor, the ignorant, “the
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me
to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of
favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God….” (Isa 61:1-2a)”. What
a message of hope often cited by Luke 4:18-21 as the inaugural address
of Jesus. It is joyful message that gave them joy. It give us joy today that
Our Lord will never abandon us. At
Christmas, he comes to us through the son of Mary, as promised.
The responsorial Psalm constitutes, the Magnificat,
the joyful song of Mary that the birth of Christ promised her is fulfilled through
her, a lowly and humble handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:46–48, 49–50, 53–54). It’s
a song of joy with humility!
[Think
of what Mary had to go through from her immaculate conception, betrothed to
Joseph, her mysterious encounter with the Lord, through the Angel Gabriel.
Although there were moment of sorrowful mysteries in Mary’s life, today Mary
prays the joyful mysteries because of the nearness of the Lord. That which was
told her, as poor and lowly as she was, has been fulfilled. She became the
mother of our Savior. To have Christ is to have joy, unhappiness sets in when
we lose Christ. Mary through the joyful mysteries is an example one who possess
Christ through listening obedience to the will of God, love of one’s neighbor,
purity of mind and body, poverty of the spirit and humility to serve others, as
she visited her cousin Elizabeth who was also pregnant with John the Baptist.
At Mary’s visit, John the Baptist who was few months older than Jesus,
imitated the mother, Elizabeth joyfully honoring Mary and her son, Jesus.
Recalled, John the Baptist leapt in her mother’s womb when Mary visited her.]
The same note of joyful message is heard in
John’s Gospel as John the Baptist insists joyfully in that humility. He
baptizes with water, but he joyfully acknowledges that the one coming after him
at Christmas, namely Our Savior will baptize with the Holy Spirit, the source
of life, the breath of life! John is not
even worthy to untie the strap of Jesus’ sandals. What a humility! Unless we
forget ourselves and not so much be consumed in our ego, we will not be able to
know and serve and have Christ who is the true source of joy and happiness!
Advent, especially in a today’s world of
isolationism, and indifference to one’s next door neighbor, is a time we reach
out to our neighbors, support one another, pray for one another, and bear one
another’s burden. And we should do this
joyfully. Advent is time we rejoice and try to be a source of joy to one
another. It is a time we strive to imitate Israel’s prophets, the missionary
zeal of Paul, John the Baptist, and importantly our mother Mary who knew how to
expect her baby Jesus with joy, and who expresses that joy in the joyful
mysteries, and at the birth of her son. As we joyfully expect Christ at
Christmas, may we daily pray the joyful mysteries(the annunciation, the
visitation, the nativity, the presentation and the finding of Jesus in the
temple) radiate that joy and happiness in our neighborhood, churches, dioceses,
parishes, stations, schools, offices, homes and places of work!
Reflection Questions
1.
What gives you joy
as you prepare for Christmas?
2.
What is your take away from today’s bible readings, the humility and joyful zeal of Mary and
John the Baptist or the hopeful and joyful and prophetic message of Isaiah?
3.
How do you prophetically share the
joy of the Gospel (Evangelli Gaudium) with your neighbors or members of your
faith community?
