3rd Sunday of Advent (Cycle C)

December 17, 2006

Reverend Deacon Lawrence A. St. Onge

Today is Gaudette Sunday – Gaudette, meaning to rejoice.  And so, we kind of take a slight break from the purple of Advent, and we light the rose colored candle, symbolizing our hope and our joy as we await the coming of our Savior at Christmas. The scripture readings today are filled with cries to rejoice.

In today’s 1^st reading, we hear the prophet Zephanaiah tell the people of Israel that the Lord will rejoice over them in gladness, and renew them in love. The people are singing for joy because the Lord is saving them from exile and political oppression in Babylon. They dance in the streets and praise God for the gift of freedom. They celebrate God’s generous love for them. And so also, do we give thanks to God for his love for us in sending us the great gift of the Incarnation of his Son; to save us from the oppression of sin; and to give us the freedom to become God’s adopted children.

In the 2^nd reading St. Paul urges the people of Philippi to rejoice always, because the Lord is near to them, indeed in their very midst. He goes on to praise them for their charitable generosity and says the whole world should see how unselfish they are. It should be noted that Paul does not advocate a naïve “happy-go-lucky” attitude, which disregards the very real concerns of our life experience. Rather, he says, Christian believers can put all their anxieties to rest, because they have entrusted them and all their needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions. Consequently, he says, “Then their souls will be filled with peace and joy.”

Today’s gospel tells of the excitement that was aroused in the people by the preaching of John the Baptist. The powerful moral convictions that John preached drew large crowds to the banks of the Jordan River. His fiery sermons spoke to something very real in the lives of the people and motivated them to conversion - to change the way they lived their lives. John challenged them to acts of charity and social concern. He says to the crowds, “Those who have two cloaks should share with those who have none.” That, he tells them, will bring true joy to their living and life.

One morning, as (the famous author & humorist) Mark Twain and a companion were walking home from church, they heard a loud rumble of thunder and almost immediately rain began to fall heavily. As they dashed for shelter, Twain’s friend asked, “Do you think it will ever stop?” “It always has,” retorted Twain.

Twain’s optimism highlights the necessity of seeing things as they truly are. Rather than exaggerating life’s many routine and little difficulties, optimistic people develop a perspective that helps them cope sensibly with the circumstances that arise in daily living and life.

In the Gospel reading today the crowds (even tax collectors and soldiers) ask John the Baptist, “What shall we do?” The crowds wanted to know what to do to prepare for the presence of the Lord “in our midst.” John the Baptist was a preacher of repentance and a teacher of morals who challenged his listeners to translate their desire for conversion into appropriate and authentic words and works. In doing so, he did not put forward exceptional challenges to them, but rather, directed them to the routine and workaday circumstances of their everyday lives, vis a vis the tax collector and the soldier. God does not require the extraordinary or incredible; but rather, holiness is to be found in the ordinary and in the commonplace.

If we were to contemporize John’s message, we would probably hear him telling spouses to express the sincerity of their conversion to God by a renewal of their love and devotion to one another. Or to parents, revere your children; and children, respect your parents. Brothers and sisters, let sibling rivalry yield to mutual caring. Teachers value your students; and students, realize that your teachers have precious wisdom to give you. Lawyers, be defenders of justice, not just for the wealthy, the influential and the powerful, but for all. Lawmakers, listen to the needs of all your constituents, especially the poor, the needy and the marginalized. Workers, do a just day’s work. Employers, pay a fair wage without discrimination; and do not foster policies that go against family life or values.

In a word, John would have his listeners focus their conversion to God toward the long-term demands of daily living and life. True religion, he was saying, is not a matter of  just following customs and rituals. Rather it’s also a matter of living and fighting confidently for what is good and right in daily life, whatever the personal cost.

On this Gaudette Sunday, John the Baptist reveals the one and only way to joy, which is to give your neighbor reason to rejoice. None of us need feel embarrassed to express our joy in a world full of suffering, because, done properly, Christian rejoicing does bring joy to the whole world. We rejoice that we have an extra cloak to share with the one who has none. We give generously, for example, our parish “Giving Tree,” because we have been given so much. We also refrain from getting ahead at the expense of others, and we commit ourselves to speaking out on behalf of those who do not share in our abundance. As John advised all seekers, we give in keeping with our resources, our vocations, and our opportunities. There is enough joy to go around, enough joy for the world, if we take our baptism as seriously as John took his.