THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

GOD'S WILL FOR US:

"My brothers and sisters,
rejoice always,
pray with out ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-17

This third sunday of advent we hear the call of John the Baptist (a voice crying in the wilderness and the darkness): "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light." John 1: 6-7

The theme of 'light and darkness' helps us appreciate and understand why we are called to rejoice and give thanks. John, and all that lived before Jesus, were people who dwelt in the time of darkness. Jesus was the light, and we, as his followers, are the people of the light.

We all know what it is like to stumble around in the darkness. Often we fear dark basements as children, we fear going blind as adults, and we hate it when the power is disrupted. Darkness symbolizes all that is painful, brings suffering, and is evil in our world. As people of the light, we are called to rejoice and give thanks this Sunday, as Jesus has shown us the way - he has given us the light, and he as promised us that this light will overcome the darkness.

As baptized Christians, the bible calls us 'the light of the world'. We, are the arms, hands, feet, eyes and ears of Christ the Light; we are the body of Christ. We, like John, testify to the light, but we also bring the light. Fr. Jude Sciliano, in his homily for this Sunday, urges us to remember who we are, and reminds us how we fail and succeed

"We, in the Church, can learn from John. We betray our calling whenever we forget our servant role; whenever the institution becomes primary; whenever power is our preferred mode of operation; whenever we cling to our status and office; whenever we become indistinguishable in society; whenever we blend in. Rather, like John, our voice must be heard in the desert, the rough and arduous terrain of our modern world. People need to know we are around and that we take our example from the Baptist. In the darkness, by our voices and actions, we are pointers to the Light that is coming.... One way to be that testimony in the world's desert is to keep faith in what we believe and who we are as the baptized.....

(We) try to bring our best selves to our daily tasks, with periodic breaks in the course of the day to take a slow breath and ask the disciple's question: 'What next Lord?" We "prepare the way of the Lord," wherever we are, by being true to WHO we are---Christians--- at the sink; the gym; in the office; at the computer; in the supermarket aisle-----as well as visiting a sick neighbor; volunteering to assemble Christmas baskets; taking the kids to church; writing a card to a lonely person; being stuck in the house with a sick child; etc. Some of us are called to announce the Lord's coming from a pulpit; but most of us do it by sharing ourselves with others and hoping that through the witness of our lives, we can "make straight" the way of the Lord.

Let us truly rejoice this Sunday with hearts filled with thankfulness for our faith!

I would like to close by sharing with you these thoughts posted by an anonymous woman named, Peggy, on one of the Christian websites: (I can't remember which site it was found on.)

Heavenly Father, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together...

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.