Fr. JC Maximilian

“Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!” (Zeph. 3:14) “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). There is a lot of references to rejoicing in this weekend’s Scripture readings. The Prophet Zephaniah, who lived toward the end of the seventh century B.C., urged the people of Israel to join him in singing joyfully in the Lord, for the Assyrians, who had long oppressed the Israelites were themselves being conquered by the Babylonians. Zephaniah told the people of Israel not to fear the fall of the Assyrian Empire for God is in their midst and would protect them.

St. Paul likewise tells the Christians in the Church at Philippi to “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and why? Because “the Lord is near.” It is because of this theme in this weekend’s readings that the Third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete is the Latin word that means “rejoice,” but with the ending that makes it a command. So we are really being commanded to rejoice.

So why should we rejoice? Advent is a time for rejoicings because it is a season that revives our expectation of the most joyful event in history: the birth of Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Most High God, but the Virgin Mary. As both the Prophet Zephaniah and St. Paul proclaim, the Lord is in our midst, He is near to us.

This most amazing outpouring of God’s love, generosity and blessing should lead us not only to shout joyfully to the Lord in thanksgiving, but it should also cause us to ask, as the people asked St. John the Baptist in today’s Gospel reading, “what should we do” to receive this gift worthily. St. John the Baptist gives them a most simple, direct answer to this question: “Repent.” John the Baptist’s message is that the Messiah’s coming requires everyone to choose — “to repent,” or not to.

“Repentance” is the English translation of the Greek word, metanoia, which literally means “change of mind.” This is a two-fold turning or change – first it is a turning away from sin, and then a turning toward God. This is not a mere attitude adjustment. No, the repentance that we as Christians are called to make requires a radical life-change. First we have to humbly and honestly reject the idols in our lives. Our idols are most likely no longer called Baal, Zeus or Athena. Rather they are most likely the love of money, material possessions, prestige, or even the “freedom to do what I want.” Instead of giving to the One True God what He deserves, too often sports, cheerleading, shopping, or even just sleeping in, takes priority in our lives. Our idols are still the work of human hands. There is too often a lack of urgency in our spiritual life, a complacency that deep down stems from a lack of faith.

St. John the Baptist is held up during the Advent Season as a model of and witness to this radical metanoia. His heart is in God. He places all of his trust in God’s promises, and he is ready to do whatever is necessary to cooperate in God’s plan for the fulfillment of those promises. St. John the Baptist’s center of gravity is neither in himself nor in the world. Rather it is in God alone.

The raw material for our conversion is usually found right before our noses. “True holiness of life is about bringing our love for Christ into the very practical and very real details and opportunities given us by God each day” (Sacerdos: Resources for Priests, “Third Sunday of Advent,” December 17, 2006). We need to open our eyes to the obvious needs before us: clothe the naked, feed the hungry. As disciples of Christ Jesus we are challenged to carry out our ordinary tasks and obligations honestly, and with as much perfection as we can bring to bear.

Something else struck me in this weekend’s readings. The Prophet Zephaniah says, “the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.” Too often people seem to leave the last two words off that passage. They seem to think that if they say their prayers to God that they will have no more misfortunes. God never promises that. In fact Jesus tells us that if we are going to be His disciples then we MUST take up the Cross. Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in his book Life of Christ, makes the excellent point that the Cross was present all throughout the life of Jesus, even as He laid there in the manager.

What God promises is that we do not need to fear the misfortunes that we experience in our lives because He is our loving Father, and His Divine plan is truly for our own good. St. Paul in today’s second reading tells the Philippians and us to “have no anxiety at all,” because “the Lord is near.”

“What should we do” on this Third Sunday of Advent? Repent! Not from a fear of God’s wrath, but from a joyful sense of the nearness of our saving God. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice! For the Lord is near.”