We become heralds of Christ’s coming

Dec 13, 2024

3rd Sunday of Advent (C)
Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18;
Philippians 4:4-7;
Gospel: Luke 3:10-18

Today, the Entrance Antiphon tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” This is what we are celebrating today, Gaudete Sunday, or Joyful Sunday, the day we rejoice in the Lord because His coming is very near to us. Henry Nouwen describes to us the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness, he says, is dependent on external circumstances such as celebrating the events of life, birthdays, marriages, graduation etc. Joy, however, takes on a much more deeper meaning. It is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing can take that away. Pope Francis tells us that instead of fretting over our Christmas preparations, we should rejoice and be thankful for all the things God has blessed us with.

This call to rejoice is evident in today’s first reading. The prophet Zephaniah tells us to be courageous and not be afraid because God is coming to save us. Yes, God is coming to offer us salvation but is that all there is? By virtue of our Baptism, all of us have received this salvation promised by God. Zephaniah tells us that there is much more to rejoice over. The Lord has repealed our sentence and has driven our enemies away. We are told not to fear and not to let our hands fall limp because the Lord God is in our midst as a victorious warrior.

We rejoice because our eyes are open to see the promise and hope of salvation, to see that the coming of Christ is not just simply an annual event that we celebrate, but it is an event that is both personal and universal. Our hearts are open to the love of God and allows us to see others as brothers and sisters in Christ. When we are able to see in this way, we will be able to share God’s love and joy with those around us, regardless of race or creed. The coming of Christ will open the eyes of our faith and love and this is indeed a great reason for rejoicing.

This applies to the opening of our ears to hear as well. Very often, we listen but do not hear. Sunday after Sunday, we listen to the Word of God but how many of us actually hear these words? The coming of Christ opens our ears to truly listen to what God has to tell us through the Scriptures. It also opens our ears to the cry of those around us. How many people go through life not having someone to confide in? The giving of our ears to someone is indeed a commodity these days as we are always so busy with our own lives that we have no time to hear what others have to say or share.

In many countries, there are companies that offer “rent a friend/family” service for a fee, payable by the hour. What should be given for free is now a commodity and a source of income. This is what society has become now. This is why in opening our ears, God is telling us to lend our ears to those who are in need. We should rejoice that we have been given this opportunity to be another Christ to others, just to offer them a listening ear without prejudice or judgement. However, we should not abuse this generosity either. Those who are in need of a listening ear should also be prudent and not talk peoples’ ears off.

In our seeing and hearing, we become heralds of Christ’s coming. We become a witness to His light and His good news, which is exactly what John the Baptist is doing. Through our witness, we share in the mission of the Baptist in bringing the good news of salvation to those whom we meet. We are all called to be bearers of joy, not sorrow. An excellent example of joy would be St Teresa of Calcutta. During her lifetime, she brought so much joy to those who were neglected by society. When asked the source of her joy, she said that joy is prayer, joy is strength, joy is love, joy is a net of love. A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. Loving as Christ loves, helping as Christ helps, giving as Christ gives, serving as Christ serves, rescuing as Christ rescues and being with Christ 24 hours, touching Christ in his distressing disguise.

Let us share this joy of God with everyone today, because, as the Gospel acclamation tells us, the spirit of the Lord has been given to us and He has sent us to bring the good news to the poor.