Advent Reflections Day 18: Arise and Lift Your Eyes for a Prophetic Vision, Spanning from the Arrival of Christ to the Birth and Growth of the Glorified Church.

 Isaiah 60:1-9

On the 18^th of December, only a week away from Christmas, Mary, together with her husband, Joseph, is bringing the incarnated Christ growing enough to be ready to come out at any moment nearer to us, as we are fine-tuning our preparation of him to come to our hearts.  As prophesized in Zechariah’s canticle, known as Benedicturs, Luke 1:68-79, the arrival of the incarnated Christ is regarded as the daybreak from heaven above (Luke 1:78). And once he arrives, from this daybreak from heaven on,  the great light in darkness (Isaiah 9:1) will break the darkness and shine on those who have been in darkness, including those in death’s shadow, and guide them into the path of peace – to redemption (Luke 1:79).

Now, what Zachariah has prophesized in Luke 1:76-9 is echoed in Isaiah 60:1-9.

Though we should be awakened on the First Sunday of Advent, once again, we ascertain that we are really awakened, not dormant.

So, “Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you!” (Isaiah 60:1), echoing Isaiah 9:1-2a, “The people who walked in darkness have see a great light; Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing”.

As our eyes are vigilantly watching for the coming of the incarnated Christ, we will first see Mary, riding on a donkey, accompanied by her husband, Joseph.  Christ is still in Mary’s womb.  So, we stand and look as Abraham was looking up and saw three men to invite to his house (Genesis 18:2).

Though darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds, the peoples, upon you the Lord will dawn, and over you his glory will be seen (Isaiah 60:2).

As Zechariah has prophesized, the coming of Christ is the dawn from heaven (Luke 1:78), and it is the Lord God in the incarnated Christ to come as the dawn so that we can see the glory of God.

Nations shall walk by your light, kings by the radiance of your dawning.

Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you— Your sons from afar, your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall throb and overflow.

For the riches of the sea shall be poured out before you, the wealth of nations shall come to you.

Caravans of camels shall cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and heralding the praises of the Lord.

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered for you, the rams of Nebaioth shall serve your needs; They will be acceptable offerings on my altar, and I will glorify my glorious house (Isaiah 60:3-9).

Upon his arrival, Christ the light shines not only upon Israel (Isaiah 9:1-6) but upon all nations to bring everyone to Jerusalem, where he dies and rises to fulfill the prophecies for his salvific mission, this is echoed in Isaiah 2:2-3; 45:22; Psalm 22:27; 98:3.

So, this is a prophesized vision of unfolding effects of Christ’s arrival, the dawn from heaven above.

Many, even those as far as the ends of the earth will see  Christ the light and come to him, paying homage, as the Magi do (Matthew 2:1-12; cf. Psalm 72:11).

The daybreak from heaven above, the arrival of the incarnated Christ out of Mary’s womb will bring all people to Jerusalem, which represents Christ’s Church, as his body on earth (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), as his glorious light shine all the way to the ends of the earth.

So, in the above vision (Isaiah 60:1-9), we can see how the arrival of the incarnated Christ will lead to Pentecost, the birth of Christ’s Church and her growth to cover all the earth (Matthew 28:19).  There, we will become the glorified one body of Christ, the Church.

We are, indeed, not only to witness the arrival of the incarnated Christ as an early riser catch the moment of sunrise, but also to be apostolic instruments to bring people, who witness Christ, from all the ends of the earth, in the unity of one body of Christ, called the Church, symbolized with Jerusalem, where all gather for paying homage to Christ.

Are your eyes are lifted to witness the arrival of the incarnated Christ, the daybreak from the above, to bring all these unfolding effects to transform us as one body of Christ, the Church?

Advent Reflections Day 17: Ad Orientem! The Adventus of the Incarnated Christ as the Daybreak from on High Draws Nearer!

 Luke 1:68-79

The world puts us in an illusion that all these noises and glittering lights on streets are what characterize our preparation for Christmas. And many have gotten lost to this illusion – even some faithful people. Remember, Paul has warned us not to sink into such worldly forces as we are to go through a transformative process of renewal (Romans 12:2), and this is particularly so during Advent in our preparation.

In our Advent reflections in the last few days, learning from St. John of the Cross’s teaching on the purgatorial darkness, and, in connection to the spirit of Las Posadas and Simbang Gabi, we stay away from these worldly lights and noises and come to this darkness and stillness that St. John of the Cross valued and where we are in solidarity with those whom Christ calls “the least of my brothers”(Matthew 25:40). And, this is where we are likely to meet Christ at his arrival – not where all these lights and noises are. In essence, there is no Christmas where you cannot find “the least of Christ’s brothers”. We must be able to distinguish “Christmas” according to the world of commercialism and consumerism and real Christmas according to the Gospel truth.

With the growing incarnated Christ in her womb, Mary and her husband, Joseph, have been traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary with her huge tummy riding on a donkey, while Joseph directs the way, as Bethlehem, known as the city of David, is where his family roots are – because Joseph draws a family lineage of David (Matthew 1:6-16).

So, now, as we have been preparing the way of Christ, as John the Baptist has called us to, on the Second Sunday of Advent, we must be like Abraham, who recognize the three traveling men and therefore invited them to his house for hospitality (Genesis 18:1-8).

Abraham was in the right place at the right moment to see them and invite them.

This is how we shall be when we see the incarnated Christ traveling nearer us, still in Mary’s womb – recognizing Mary and Joseph traveling. And, as with the tradition of Las Posadas, we welcome them in and treat them with our loving hospitality, because Christ is with Mary and ready to come out of her to show himself to us, making a theophany in where we welcome them.

And, it is a predawn dark hours, when Simbang Gabi Mass starts, with a joyful anticipation for the light to rise and shine, with the incarnated Christ to make theophany soon out of Mary, whom we have welcomed in, as the sun rises on the eastern horizon by Simbang Gabi Mass completes.

This sentiment is well-reflected in Zechariah’s prophecy for the imminent coming of Christ, known as Benedictus, the canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:69-79). Zechariah is the husband of Elizabeth, who is relative to Mary. John the Baptist was born to Elizabeth and Zechariah.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people.

He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant, even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our Gods by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

Zechariah had been a childless priest. His wife was Elizabeth, a relative of Mary. After many years of childlessness, one day, Angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah of Elizabeth’s conception. However, he did not believe the announcement. So, he has made unable to speak. And, Elizabeth conceived with John the Baptist at her old age. In the meantime, Angel Gabriel also announced to Mary of her virgin conception of Jesus, who is the Son of God. At the same time, Gabriel also told Mary of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Though Mary was somewhat anxious of her virgin pregnancy, she was so happy to have learned of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. So, she visited her and cared for her for three months (Luke 1:5-56).

Before Jesus, John the Baptist was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth and was given name “John” upon his circumcision. And, Zechariah was made able to speak again and filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:57-67).

Then, Zechariah spoke his prophecy for Christ’s birth in the above canticle.

To Zechariah and Elizabeth, in a way, these many years of childlessness were a long period of “darkness”, which is disgrace of being barren (Luke 1:25; Genesis 30:23). But, with the conception of John the Baptist in Elizabeth, this “darkness” of disgrace was removed. And, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah sensed that the birth of his son, John the Baptist, is a sure sign of the nearness of the fulfillment of the Messianic coming. So, he prophesized that the arrival of Christ, the Messiah, is near in the canticle, Benedictus.

So, Zechariah opens his canticle with these words:

Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, quia visitavit, et fecit redemptionem plebis suae..( Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people) (Luke 1:68).

With these words to bless God, Zechariah, the priest recognizes the redemption of the Israelites by God of Israel, as prophesized in Isaiah 43, is coming near, and it will be done by Christ. And, Zechariah, in his prophetic canticle, recognizes that this Christ to redeem Israel comes as a child (Luke 1:76), and his coming as the daybreak from heaven above out of God’s mercy (Luke 1:77-78; cf Psalm 19:4-9), as to echo the sun of justice, prophesized Christ in his return to judge (Malachi 3:20/4:2 in Protestant versions, such as NIV).

Remember, Christ shines as the great light in darkness (Isaiah 9:1), as he is, indeed, the light of the world for us to walk in the safe path of redemption (John 8:12).

So, as the rising sun begins to lighten the world, Christ the light shines on those who have kept in darkness to be redeemed so that they can walk on the path of peace.

Just as how Simbang Gabi Mass goes, starting while it was dark before the dawn. But the daybreak comes to begin spelling out the darkness by the time this Christmas novena Mass ends.

Yes, Christ is about to break the darkness, as he is ready to break out of the darkness within Mary’s womb. 

Advent Reflections Day 16: Nuestra Corazones: La Posada de Bienvenidas con Amor para Cristo y Maria y Jose

 Genesis 18:1-8

9 more days until Christmas Day! It means that the incarnated Christ is coming nearer and nearer. And your hearts are magnified with anticipatory joy already.

So, today marks the first day of Las Posadas and Simbang Gabi novenas.

What the tradition of Las Posadas teaches us is our needs to prepare our hearts, where we receive Christ at his arrival, to be hospitable.  He is coming together with his mother, Mary, and his step-father, Joseph, along with a donkey, as they are heading to Bethlehem. Christ is not seen yet as he is still in his mother’s womb. While journeying nearer Bethlehem, Mary suddenly experiences labor pain and is in need of a place to give birth. It is an emergency. So, Joseph looked and looked for a suitable place for his wife, Mary, to give birth to the incarnated Christ. But, all the places that Joseph contacts say, “No”. Is it because they look like poor travelers? For whatever the reason it maybe, Joseph’s earnest request for his wife to give birth was not granted. However, in the last minute, there is a person to direct Mary and Joseph to the animal stable with plenty of dry hays. Though not an ideal place to give birth, it is better than nothing. So, Joseph helped Mary get ready to give birth and Mary safety gives birth to the incarnated Christ, who comes to the world as baby Jesus. And, he was wrapped in swaddling cloth and placed in a manger (Luke 2:7).

Las Posadas, which mean “the inns”. But, it should have been “La Posada”…” La posada de bienvenidas con amor”. If the first house that Joseph asked let Mary and Joseph in and welcomed them, this should not be plural but rather singular.

Those who did not let Mary and Joseph in certainly do not see Christ in Mary’s womb. Had they recognized him in her, they would welcome Mary and Joseph, as they are would be eager to witness the arrival of Christ, coming out of Mary’s body.

In yesterday’s reflection with Revelation 3:14-21, we asked ourselves if we would be willing to open our hearts with a knock of Christ, which may come as any sign. Back in nearly 2,000 years ago, it came as Joseph’s knock on the doors of inns.

So, we open our hearts, are they better than the stable that Mary and Joseph were directed about 2,000 years ago?

Do we recognize that the mother who has been carrying Christ in her womb and her husband are tired and in need of a good place to be treated with our loving hospitality? And it also means to welcome Christ, as well?

Are we ready to greet, “¡Bienvenidos a mi corazon! !Adelante, Maria y Jose…y el bebe en ti, Maria! Pónganse cómodos.”(Welcome to my heart! Come in, Mary and Joseph, and the baby in you, Mary! Make yourself at home)?

Perhaps, as the day of Christ’s arrival has come nearer and nearer, as reminded by Las Posadas, we shall be as hospitable as Abraham and Sarah to the three traveling visitors (Genesis 18:1-8). And, let us remember, hospitality is not just “inviting” and providing food and drink (Luke 7:36-45). It is about we really sense what our guests may need (Luke 10:38-42).

As Abraham recognized the three traveling men for his vigilant eyes, we shall see Mary and Joseph and Christ in Mary altogether, as we remain alert, as reminded on the First Sunday of Advent. And ever since the Second Sunday of Advent, we have been making the way of Christ into our hearts by making our hearts not only a place of peace but a place of loving hospitality. Now, as this week of Gaudete Sunday progresses, Christ in Mary, who is with Joseph, is coming nearer and nearer. And, we shall soon recognize the “knock”, and it may be in this darkness that St. John of the Cross treasured, as reflected on Day 14, with Psalm 112:1-10. So, Simbang Gabi, which literally means “Church in darkness (darkness of predawn hours)” novena reflects such darkness, in which we can recognize Christ who has been traveling.

Advent Reflection Day 15: Life of Authenticity with Mercy and Compassion for the Poor to Recognize the Sign of Christ’s Arrival

 Revelation 3:14-21

Yesterday, we reflected on the importance of staying out of worldly noises and lights that have nothing to do with the true voice and the true light that we are keeping our eyes and ears for as we prepare ourselves to welcome Christ during Advent.  For this lesson, we learned from St. John of the Cross, who found darkness and stillness as a way to grow in faith, purity, and intimacy with Christ. And, our Advent preparatory work is aimed for the same purpose, as welcoming the incarnated Christ in our hearts at his arrival is to show how much we love him.

All the noises and lights of the world during this time of the year not only distract us from our Advent preparation but may let us become absent when Christ arrives – as the foolish virgins were not there when the bridegroom arrived as they were distracted with the shortage of the lamp-oil (Matthew 25:1-13).

So, we stepped aside from the worldly noises and lights into the purgatorial (purifying) darkness and stillness that St. John of the Cross has encourages us to embrace in finding Christ intimately, with Psalm 112, which reminds us of Christ the light shines through this kind of darkness for those who are faithfully seeking him and preparing his way of coming (Psalm 112:4 cf. Isaiah 9:1; John 8:12).

Another reflective lesson from Psalm 112 yesterday is that our Advent preparatory work to make the way of Christ in this purgatorial darkness and stillness, away from the worldly distracting noises and lights includes our merciful and compassionate care for the poor – for the least among us (Psalm 112:9).

Just think.

Do you think Christ will arrive where all the worldly noises and lights of commercialism and consumerism are? Or, what about where not many people are – so it’s rather quiet and not so well-lit. But, where the poor, the sick, the marginalized are found?

In Matthew 25:31-46, Christ has reminded us where is likely to be as Immanuel (God with us). If our eyes for Christ is blind or if we are not vigilant, then, we will not recognize him among those who are poor, sick, imprisoned, isolated, and so forth.  Thus, keeping our eyes open and vigilant for Christ to come means that we have eyes of mercy and compassion. And, this lesson is echoed also in Revelation 3:14-21, Christ’s message to the church of Loadicea.

So, before his arrive, let us listen to his voice and learn from him now.

I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).

We think we have been awakened to Christ’s coming since the first Sunday of Advent and have been working to make Christ’s way  at least since the Second Sunday of Advent to rejoice the imminence of his arrival, as reflected on the Third Sunday of Advent, is our work really the kind of work that Christ wants when he arrives?  What kind of work does Christ wants us to do for his arrival?  In doing our preparation work for his arrival, do we see the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the isolated, and so forth? Or, are we doing the work distracted by these worldly noises and lights, away from the kind of the darkness and stillness that St. John of the Cross embraced?

Unless we ask ourselves such questions, we may risk ourselves and our works to be “lukewarm”.

For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see (Revelation 3:17-18).

If we and our work are “lukewarm”, we are not living and working authentically but out of our vanity of ego. Carrying such a way of life will be an obstacle in recognizing Christ at his arrival. Remember, John the Baptist has called us to repent, as our Advent preparation (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:4)? Do we recognize our own vanity and repent and see the true treasure that only Christ can give (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:33-34; 2 Corinthians 8:9)?  These worldly noises and lights of commercialism and consumerism can put you in vanity but sure keep you from the true richness found in poverty – in the darkness and stillness.

So, Christ himself calls us to leave a life of vanity and live an earnest life by repenting.

Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent (Revelation 3:19).

From now until Christ’s arrival, we really need to work on ourselves – on our hearts, not of vanity but of earnestness and authenticity through penance, in connection to those who are least among us.

Now listen to Christ!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne (Revelation 3:20-21).

The knock of Christ came as the sudden sign of labor to Mary, while she was on her way with Joseph to Bethlehem, about 2,000 years ago.

How will Christ will knock…how will he let us know of his arrival? We don’t know. But, we shall recognize this if we are well-prepared to receive him as we make the straight path for him to come, as we live a life of authenticity and not find ourselves isolated from the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and so forth.

We will know when Christ arrives as long as we live a life authentically, not out of vanity, keeping our vigilant and compassionate eyes of mercy for the least among us.

 

Advent Reflection Day 14: A Lesson from St. John of the Cross on the Importance of Darkness and Silence

 Psalm 112:1-10

This time of the year is marked with noises and lights. They are worldly ones to promote commercialism and consumerism. The noises have nothing to do with the voice crying out in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3; John 1:23) to call for our preparation to welcome Christ. The lights have nothing to do with the great light (Isaiah 9:1) to boost our hope for the coming of the incarnated Christ, who is born of the virgin (Isaiah 7:14).  These noises and lights out in the world during this time of the year can be nothing but distractions from our true Advent focus on preparing for the coming of the incarnated Christ to welcome him in our hearts.

John the Baptist has called us to start working diligently to prepare to welcome Christ at his arrival by making his path straight – making our hearts even and smooth – without any raggedness, no valleys and no mountains, meaning that our hearts have no emotional ups and downs (Isaiah 40:3-4; Mark 1:3). In other words, we work on peace in our hearts to welcome the incarnated Christ. Doesn’t he deserve to arrive in our peaceful hearts, after traveling for eons and far more than billions of light years of distance, since before the all ages? So, if we are truly working for the incarnated Christ to come to our hearts, we cannot let all these worldly noises and lights of distress to side track our attention, resulting in missing his arrival.  Speaking of missing, the word, “sin”( ἁμαρτία/hamartia) literally means “missing (a mark)”. Missing the moment of the incarnated Christ’s arrival because of the unpreparedness, as the foolish virgins missed to see the returned bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13), is a sin. So, let us keep us from these noises and lights in our continuing preparation to welcome Christ at his arrival.

The 14^th day of December is the memorial feast of St. John of the Cross, and there is a great lesson we can learn from him on silence and darkness – our need to fight against temptations to be drawn to these distracting noises and lights but to stay focused on the true voice and the light.

So, let us stay away from these worldly noises and lights as we come to the kind of darkness and stillness that St. John of the Cross describes as “Dark Night of the Soul”, the purgatorial darkness of preparation to find the light and the voice of the one, whom we welcome.

Hallelujah! Blessed the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his command.

His descendants shall be mighty in the land, a generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his righteousness shall endure forever.

Light shines through the darkness for the upright; gracious, compassionate, and righteous.

Psalm 112:1-4

Christ, the Son of God, has promised us to be children of God (John 1:12), and through our faith in him, we become children of God (1 John 3:1), “His descendants” to be blessed (Psalm 112:2). And, the blessings come with the light shines through the darkness for us (Psalm 112:4).

Now, from v.5 to v.10, we are also reminded that our hearts are in peace (in tranquility) and secure upon “filling every valley and flattening every mountain” so that Christ’s gloriously light is revealed (Isaiah 40:4-5) (Psalm 112:6-8) because such stable peaceful hearts enables us to work with justice and compassion, keeping anger and wickedness off (Psalm 112:4b-5,9-10).

Remember, our Advent work with diligence and vigilance is to make sure that we will not get caught off guard and unprepared when Christ arrives. And what if he arrives in poverty? If our hearts are secure enough to be generous in reaching out to the poor – to the least among us, we would miss the mark when he arrives.

Who are kept in the darkness of the world because of their poverty?

Such are the least among us, and they are obscured by these worldly noises and lights of commercialism and consumerism.

Let us ascertain that we do our Advent preparation in the right kind of darkness and silence.

Desolation is a file, and the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light…..Abide in peace ... In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God. 

St. John of the Cross

Advent Reflections Day 13: Can we “martureo”(bea witness) to the one who is coming, whose arrival we have been preparing for?

 John 1:6-18

Though in reality, nobody, not even Christ himself knows, exactly when he will arrive, in spirit and in memory, based on the Scriptures, we know that our Advent journey have passed its halfway mark.

In fact, Advent Season is only less than 4 weeks, as the solemn feast of the Nativity of the Lord falls during the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Nevertheless, the journey that Christ himself has taken to come to us in the human flesh of Jesus, born of Mary, the Blessed Virgin and the Immaculate Conception, the Theotokos, far greater than 4 weeks or so.

Remember, as Blessed Pope Pius IX reminded in his Ineffable Deus, Yahweh, God the Father, had already pre-chosen Mary as the Theotokos. So, He had arranged her conception in her mother’s womb to be free from any impacts of Original Sin. In other words, even before the time and the Creation, God the Father planned the Immaculate Conception for Mary to be full of grace, impervious to any effect of Original Sin, so that she can serve as the Theotokos, to let Christ, the Son of God, incarnate out of her flesh, as his unblemished flesh to come to us and to dwell among us. This way, the Word can be incarnated to dwell among us without any problem.

Who knows how long ago this whole plan was made. It was before the time and the Creation. So, at least billions of years ago.

Imagine that Christ, who pre-existed before all ages (before the time) and before the Creation, has travelled for eons in time span and who knows how many billions of light years to come to us through Mary’s body.

But, as we are well into the latter half of Advent journey, it is like last two weeks of Mary’s third trimester pregnancy.  It means that the already incarnated Christ (whose incarnation took place upon his virgin conception in Mary’s womb at Annunciation by the power of the Holy Spirit) has grown enough in Mary’s womb and begun itching to come out.

Yes, the incarnated Christ is near us now. Though he is still hidden in Mary’s womb, he is getting ready to come out. He is getting ready to meet us.

But, what about us? Are we really ready to greet and welcome Christ, who has journeyed eons in time, far more than billions of years light years distance?

When we began Advent journey on First Sunday of Advent, we were awakened and reminded to remain alert because Christ is coming (and he was already incarnated and growing in Mary’s womb). On the Second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist, who had already sensed the nearness of Christ’s coming, has called us to get busy in preparing the way for the incarnated Christ to come to our hearts. So, as all the valleys are filled and all the mountains are flatten, we level the rough conditions of our own hearts  - so that our hearts shall be a hospitable place for Christ to be welcomed upon unimaginably long journey since before the beginning of time.  And, on the Third Sunday of Advent, we fill our hearts with anticipatory joy, trusting and knowing that Christ is very near now. But, at the same time, we remain in our diligence and vigilance in fine-tuning our preparatory work to welcome him at his arrival.

Now, there is another important matter that John the Baptist teaches us to make sure before Christ’s arrival. And it is our readiness to give testimony to Christ, as John the Baptist himself gave his testimony to Christ the light.

It is quite interesting to know that John the Baptist was sent from God to give a testimony to the light, Christ, in the hope for the world to believe in Christ and to be, therefore, enlightened by him, through John’s testimony (John 1:6-9).

The world was created through Christ the light (cf. John 1:3; 1Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16) and he was also in the world but the world did not recognize him (John 1:10). In other worlds, by the time John the Baptist began making his testimony to Christ, as the voice crying out in the wilderness”(John 1:23; Isaiah 40:3a), Christ himself is already in the world, no longer out in heaven. But, we did not recognize his presence.

John the Baptist gave his testimony to Christ, who was already in the world and among us – though not seen in public yet, Israelites, especially those who were in the religious authority, did not believe his testimony and did not accept Christ (John 1:11). And, those who did not believe and accept put John the Baptist in inquisition (John 1:19-34) and later, not only they did not believe though he made clear appearance to them but even demonized him (i.e. John 8:12-9:41).

While some did not believe and accept Christ, Christ adopted those who came to believe and accept him as the Son of God as children of God (John 1:12-13). For this reason, Christ, who is the Word (Logos), came to us in the human flesh of Jesus, in order to dwell among us, as Emmanuel (God with us), as God’s only Son, in glory and full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Because of Christ among us, the Son of God, is full of grace and truth, we can receive and truth through him, while the Law that Moses received did not give these (John 1:16-17).

Furthermore, through Christ, besides grace and truth that the Law cannot give, we can also be entitled to revelation of God, who is invisible to us, because Christ, the Son of God, is besides the Father (John 1:18).

Christ pre-existed before the time and the Creation. Yet, God arranged to make his first public theophany (which is the Baptism of the Lord) upon the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:15) in the hope that we may come to believe and accept the one to whom John the Baptist give his testimony to.

Given where we are on our Advent journey, the incarnated Christ is already in the world, though we have not yet seen him in his theophany. Though we have not seen Christ yet, we have already listened to John the Baptist’s powerful testimony to Christ. John’s testimony to Christ is so powerful because he has seen Christ already (John 1:34).

Do we believe and accept Christ before we see him at his arrival? And, are we willing to go testify (martureo) to Christ, whom we are now looking forward to witnessing at his arrival in our hearts?  This is why we have been awakened since the First Sunday of Advent and we have been working diligently since the Second Sunday of Advent not only to receive but to witness and make our testimonies to Christ in the world – though it may put us in danger of persecution and even martyrdom.

Remember, martyrdom is the ultimate form of practicing “martureo”, as the word “martyr” has its etymological origin in the root word of “martureo”, “martus”(witness).

Anticipatory Joy over the One Due to Arrive Any Moment – Gaudete Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent - B

Out of four Sundays in Advent Season, we have come to the Third Sunday of Advent! We are to celebrate the adventus (arrival) of the incarnated Christ during the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. So, we are almost there on our Advent journey! Sensing the nearness of the goal sure brings anticipatory joy. So, that is why the Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, Sunday to rejoice – though the incarnated Christ is still in his mother’s womb.

But, the Gospel Reading for this Sunday (John 1:6-8, 19-28) does not seem relevant to the theme of rejoicing, as it is about John the Baptist in inquisition by those who cannot rejoice the nearness of Christ in the human flesh to dwell among us. Are these people cross-examining John the Baptist not wanting to have Christ to dwell among us together? They know that Christ is coming as this has been prophesized way back in the time of the Old Testament. Yet, they investigate John the Baptist, who recognized the nearness of Christ’s coming and therefore began calling people to prepare themselves for his arrival. So, he encouraged them to confess their sins and repent and get baptized with water. It was the way that John the Baptist was fulfilling his prophesized role as the voice crying out in the wilderness.

So, those who heard John the Baptist lined up to be baptized because they want to have Christ. On the other hand, the kind of people who put John the Baptist inquisition were different. They did not come to John the Baptist to be baptized to prepare for the coming of Christ. Rather, they wanted to investigate what he was doing and what it was for. Their inquisition on John the Baptist rather slowed down the preparatory work for the arrival of the incarnated Christ.

Remember, Advent began with a Gospel message of waking up and remaining with vigilant hope because Christ, not Santa, is coming any time. It was what we reflected and learned on the First Sunday of Advent. Then, on the Second Sunday of Advent, from John the Baptist, we have learned that we need to start working diligently to prepare ourselves to be suitable place for Christ at his arrival. And the preparation entails to make our hearts pure by cleansing and securing our hearts. No filths of sins and no emotional ups and downs (mountains and valleys).

So, we have been awaken and remaining with vigilant hope, working diligently in this preparation for Christ’s arrival. Our preparatory work is in progress, nearing its completion to welcome the incarnated Christ, while he is near us now, itching to come out of his mother’s womb.

Remember, who recognized Christ still in his mother’s womb and rejoiced?

It was John the Baptist, while he himself was still in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:41), and his mother, Elizabeth (Luke 1:42-43)! And, the soul of Christ’s mother was magnified as she sung Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

This is how Third Sunday of Advent should be. But, what’s wrong with these people who had to cross-examine John the Baptist rather than getting their preparatory work done and rejoice with the rest of people?

The problem is that those people were in darkness. They were not awakened yet. They came to John the Baptist “sleep walking”. They represent people who were not awakened on the First Sunday of Advent. Thus, they have not even started their preparations to welcome Christ. That is why they did not come to John the Baptist to be baptized but question him.

They are the same kind of people that the incarnated Christ in Jesus later calls the blind (John 9:40-41).

So, we have to make sure that we are fully awakened and our eyes are wide open to recognize Christ even he is still hidden in his mother’s womb. If our eyes are truly open spiritually, they can sense what is invisible to regular human eyes. And, by now, we can see how close his arrival is. So, we can rejoice in anticipation.

Think of how an expectant mother feels when she moves from first trimester to second and to third in her pregnancy. She and her husband get themselves busy in getting baby bed and all the other stuff for the expecting baby. And they are in anticipatory joy. That’s how we celebrate Gaudete Sunday.

So the First Reading (Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11) gives a good reason why the nearness of the birth of the incarnated Christ is so joyful. It is because the one, whose arrival we look forward to and prepare for, is anointed by God the Father, thus sent by Him to bring the Good News of new hope and to heal the brokenness in us. The one whose arrival that we have been awaken to and preparing for is coming to bring new life to us!

So, with the prospect of this, aren’t our souls magnified with joy?

This sentiment is sung in the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm (Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54): My soul rejoices in my God, excerpts from Mary’s joyful canticle of Magnificat.

The Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 5:1-24) encourages us to live as if everyday is Gaudete Sunday, because the incarnated Christ, who brings the joy of the Good News (evangelii gaudium) to restore and renew life, can make his theophany at any momen, though his appearance to our human eyes are still hidden in his mother’s womb.

So, as we have been fully awakened and our eyes are wide-open, with our preparatory work near completion, we now rejoice, continue to pray, and give thanks all the time so that we will not miss the moment of his adventus in rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks.