As I have been reflecting on the Scripture Readings of Third Sunday of Advent – also known as Gaudete Sunday, on Cycle C (Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Isaiah12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18), I was reminded how my mother used to tell me: no fun unless you do your homework first. She was very persistent in reinforcing this principle to me when I was a grade school student. So I had to finish homework first in order to enjoy playing outside with friends after school.
These readings of Third Sunday of Advent (Zephaniah
3:14-18a; Isaiah12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke
3:10-18) basically remind us that we really need to know what to do and get it
done in order to rejoice the arrival of the incarnated Christ, whose presence
is now near. So, our take home lesson from the scripture readings on Third
Sunday of Advent on Cycle C, making it truly Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday, we must know what we are doing in our
Advent preparation and have our preparatory work done in order to rejoice over
the nearness of the incarnated Christ’s coming and his salvific blessings upon
his arrival. In the Gospel Reading (Luke 3:10-18), John the Baptist reminds
that our failure to do “Advent home work” may result in condemnation (v. 17).
To rejoice by completing our Advent preparatory
works or not to rejoice but to be condemned for our failure to do so – that is
the question to ask ourselves on Third Sunday of Advent, in reflecting on the
readings (Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Isaiah12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Philippians
4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18).
The First Reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18) and the Second
Reading (Philippians 4:4-7) reflects the theme of joy.
While the First Reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18) calls us
to rejoice for and exult over God’s promise to renew our lives from former
shameful life of sins and send us Christ the Word, the Second Reading
(Philippians 4:4-7) calls us to rejoice over our life in Christ – our Christian
life – as our preparation to welcome Christ into our hearts, while his arrival
draws nearer. The Gospel Reading (Luke 3:10-18), on the other hand, does not
seem to fit in the joyful theme of Gaudete
Sunday. However, we hear John the Baptist giving concrete advice to sinners
coming to him for repentance and conversion upon learning the nearness of
Christ’s appearance from John the Baptist.
Both the First Reading and the Second Reading reflect the joy over the
nearness of Christ’s coming and joy upon his arrival. So, the Gospel Reading
(Luke 3:10-18) tells us what exactly what we can do in order to rejoice over
the nearness of Christ’s coming and make our life in Christ joyful as we have
him in our hearts and we live our life in him.
Where else can we find true joy – besides a life in
Christ and Christ in us?
We began our Advent preparation with a prevailing
theme of perpetual vigilance so that we would not allow our hearts to be
coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness of this season of the year, from the
Gospel Reading of First Sunday of Advent, Cycle C, Luke 21:25-28, 34-34. And
this theme of vigilance runs through the entire liturgical year, as Advent is
not only the preparatory season for the coming of the incarnated Christ but
also for his return to judge us and to reign as the King of the Universe.
Therefore, we remain vigilant always, also constantly watching ourselves in our
preparation for the incarnated Christ’s coming – and upon his arrival through
the nativity of Jesus, his epiphany, his baptism, his public ministry, his
death and resurrection, and his post-resurrection appearances and teaching, and
ascension, and coming of the Holy Spirit upon us as another Parakeltos (John 14:16, 26), while
Christ the Parakletos (1 John 2:1) is
in heaven to prepare for our place in the Father’s house (John 14:2-3).
Our vigilance also makes us diligent in our work of
preparation. So, in the Gospel Reading of Second Sunday of Advent, Cycle C,
Luke 3:1-6, we hear from John the Baptist’s voice in the wilderness, as the
fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3, to prepare ourselves to welcome the incarnated
Christ at his arrival in our hearts, by repenting and converting our hearts –
thus making the straight path of Christ’s coming.
Now, we are on Third Sunday. In the Gospel Reading
of this Sunday (Luke 3:14-18), we hear from John the Baptist once again, some
concrete things to do in our preparation to welcome the incarnated Christ – so
that we can truly rejoice the season of Advent as Christ is coming nearer and
nearer, while remaining vigilant and diligent in our Advent preparatory works.
In the Gospel Reading (Luke 3:10-18), the crowd
asked John the Baptist what they should do in response to hearing his call to
repent and convert in making themselves the straight path of Christ’s coming in
order to see salvation (Luke 3:1-6). So. John the Baptist responded:
As the man with two tunics should share his tunics
with a man who has none, we should share what we have with those who do not
(Luke 3:11). Then, repenting tax collectors, who were notorious for practicing
collecting more than then required in order to pocked for themselves, asked Jon
the Baptist what they should do in order t see salvation (Luke 3:12). To them,
John said that they should not cheat and do only what they are required to do
(Luke 3:13). Then, soldiers asked what they should do (Luke 3:14), and John
said to them that they should not abuse their authority – by stop extorting
money, making false accusation, and being content with what is given to them
(Luke 3:14).
The man with two tunics (Luke 3:11), tax collectors
(Luke 3:12-13), and soldiers (Luke 3:14) represent us in various situations
today. And John the Baptist’s advices to them are some concrete suggestions as
to what we should do now as the coming of the incarnated Christ to our hearts
is drawing nearer, reflected in the wondering hearts of the crowd, who thought
John the Baptist might possibly be the Christ (Luke 3:15).
John the Baptist sensed the wondering hearts of the
crowd and must have felt to make it clear to them that John was not the Christ.
And as we remain vigilant, we will not make a mistake of confusing the
precursor of Christ to Christ himself.
So, John the Baptist said to the crowd with wondering
minds about John and Christ. And first, he said:
I
am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy
to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire (Luke 3:16).
In these words to the crowd with wondering mind,
John the Baptist clarified that he is the precursory figure, baptizing them
with water for penance and conversion, to prepare them for Christ’s coming and
the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire by him, through which the Holy Spirit
would descend from heaven in tongues like the flame of fire (Acts 2:3), as the
tongue is fire (James 3:2), on Pentecost to give birth to the holy catholic
apostolic Church. So, the crowd would understand that John was not Christ but
his forerunner. In fact, baptism with fire also refers to divine judgement
(e.g. 1 Kings 10:37-39), and John the Baptist implicated this further in these
words:
His
winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the
wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire
(Luke 3:17).
Christ’s winnowing fan symbolizes the judgement that
he will bring upon his second coming with a metaphor of harvest work of
separation (cf. Matthew 13:30, 43; cf. Ruth 1:22; 3:2; cf. Mark 9:43;
Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 13-15). The chaff to be burned represents the unrepentant
sinners, and they are likely to be the objects of John the Baptist’s rebuke
(Matthew 3:7-10) and Jesus’ lamentation (Matthew 11:16-19, the Gospel Reading
of Friday of Second Week of Advent).
Those who prepare well by setting their hearts straight
to welcome Christ by repentance and conversion will rejoice. On the other hand,
those who do not do this preparatory works for Advent due to indifference,
laziness, drunkenness, drowsiness, or ignorance are risking themselves for
condemnation if not heed to the precursor of Christ and Christ himself, whose
coming is near.
Whether we are getting ready to welcome the
incarnated Christ or now, regardless of how well we have done our Advent
preparatory works with a focus of penance and conversion, he is now near. And
we are called on Third Sunday of Advent to rejoice Christ’s coming in
anticipatory hope so that we can make this Sunday truly Gaudete Sunday.
As Christ’s arrival draws nearer, our hope grows
more joyful in anticipation. And this is proportionate to how well we have been
doing our Advent preparatory works with vigilance and diligence – not slipping
into drowsiness to worldly distractions. Remember, we need to be as vigilant
and diligent as the maidens who never let their lamp oil run out (i.e. Matthew
25:1-10).
In fact, an anticipatory joyous hope for the coming
of Christ was prophetically proclaimed by Zephaniah, during the reign of king
Josiah, reforming his Davidic kingdom, 640 BC-609BC, as reflected in the First
Reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18a).
Shout
for joy, daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your
heart, daughter Jerusalem! (Zephaniah 3:14).
Zephaniah explained a reason for joy:
The
Lord has removed the judgement against you, he has turned away our enemies; the
King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to
fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion, do not be
discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will
rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in His love, who will sing
joyfully because of you, as festival days. I will remove disaster from among
you, so that no one may recount your disgrace (Zephaniah 3:15-18).
Because God has forgiven us though we have sinned
and saved us from our enemies, and Christ the King in our midst (i.e. Zephaniah
3:15; Isaiah 29:17-24 (First Reading of Friday of First Week of Advent); Isaiah
30:19-26 (i.e. First Reading of Saturday of First Week of Advent); cf. Baruch
5:1-9 (Second Sunday of Advent First Reading, C); cf. Isaiah 41:13-20 (First
Reading of Thursday of Second Week of Advent);cf. John 1:14).
Though your faith is steadfast and therefore you
have been vigilant and diligent all the time in your Advent preparation,
heeding to John the Baptist and Christ, you just do not feel anticipatory joy
of the nearness of Christ’s arrival – because your suffering is not lifted and
continue to life a life of afflictions?
Then listen to Paul, who proclaimed joy and called to rejoice all the
time out of prison, while in darkness of prison and being chained.
As in the Second Reading, Paul wrote:
Rejoice
in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be
known to all. 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 (Philippians 4:4-7).
Just as Jesus has commanded us to be vigilant always
against confusing false signs and teachings (Luke 21:36), Paul calls us to
rejoice in Christ the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). Note that we rejoice all the
time – not just when we feel like rejoicing or when things in life are going as
we desire. To rejoice always means to recognize joy even when life is in
affliction – even when things in life seem hopeless – when the way life has turned
is tempting to despair. But the question is how can we really feel joy when all
we feel is pain and hopelessness?
According to Deacon Michael Neba of Holy Child Jesus
parish in Chicago, joy becomes perpetual, not subject to external
circumstances, as we establish solid intimacy with Christ, as in the case with
Paul. As a pastoral psychologist, the solid intimacy with Christ is attained
through secure psychological attachment with Christ, enabling us to keep our
joy perpetual and immutable against suffering and all other afflicting life
factors. This is also verified with empirical research studies, such as one by
Bradshaw et al. (2010)*.
The question that we ask on Third Sunday of Advent,
making it truly Gaudete Sunday: to
rejoice or to be condemned is associated with this question: to be securely and
intimately attached to Christ as one or not, because we must be attached to
Christ as one to rejoice always. And as St. Augustine of Hippo has famously
said in the first chapter of Confessiones,
“Fecisti nos ad te, Domine, et inquietum
est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te (Thou
hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its
rest in thee)”, having ourselves securely attached result in peace, in
addition to joy. So, Paul wrote that peace of God safeguards our hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
So, joy and peace that characterize being intimately
attached to Christ as one are two aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit,
along with love, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Remember, it is Christ’s desire that we have
complete joy for having his joy in us (John 15:11) so that we can love as he
commands and as he loves us (John 15:12-13). And this is how we are to be
spiritually fruitful, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, in which we have
joy, peace, love, and more, as we are securely attached to Christ as one – just
as the fruitful branches are attached to the vine (John 15:1-17).
It is joy or condemnation, depending on how well we
do our preparatory works in welcoming the incarnated Christ, whose arrival is
getting nearer, because the way we do our Advent preparation with vigilance and
diligence, taking the advice of John the Baptist, can also affect the way we
follow Christ and perform our apostolic missions upon his arrival. And, our joy
shall not be subject to worldly affairs, because it is the joy of Christ in us
(i.e. John 15:11) as safeguarded with peace in Christ (i.e. Philippians 4:7)
for our intimate and secure attachment with Christ the Lord.
*****
Let us keep our brothers and sisters, neighbors, affected by powerful tornado ravaged six states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Arkansas, on December 11, 2021, in our prayers. Let us reach out to them with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, including love, peace, and joy - so that they will not let the devastation and suffering robe their hope - so that they can still rejoice in Christ despite the challenges to face in restoring their lives and communities.
*Bradshaw, M., Ellison, C.G., and Marcum, J.P.
(2010). Attachment to God, Images of God, and Psychological Distress in a
Nationwide Sample of Presbyterians. The
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 20(2): 130-147
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