Homily of the 3rd Sunday of Advent[Gaudete Sunday]
By Fr Oluwafemi Victor Orilua CSSp
Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11
Today, being the third Sunday of Advent, the church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, which reminds us to rejoice, not because life is easy, but because the Lord is near. We are called to remember that God has the greater capacity to turn dry places in our lives into springs of hope. He always calls us to patient trust and shows His presence through His merciful works.
Hence, we are called to rejoice and never lose heart. True joy is found in recognising that Christ is already at work among us. That is the message of Christmas, which we await in few days to come.
In the meantime, while we face the struggles in the world, there is nothing compared to the joy we possess for knowing Christ. He knew pain. He understands the psychology of joy. And since history is a continuum, we must understand that God continues to journey with us amid our circumstances. We must not lose the sense of the processes we must pass through in our journey of life which oftentimes comes with its ups and downs.
In the first reading Prophet Isaiah made the pronouncement of God’s promises to save His people. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” In the second reading, James, said, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Though John the Baptist prepared for the coming of the Lord, in prison, doubt filtered through his faith, and he sent his disciples to make a clarification with the Lord. “When John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus’ answer was simple. “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
God’s coming or presence is seen in His works in and around us. May be John never expected the Messiah would be out there while he suffers in the prison. There are moments when our pains have come to a stage when we doubt God’s presence. We may not know that He is there with us. All we need is to recognise His presence and draw strength from Him.
Life is never without crisis. All we need do today is to check out our lives and see how much of God’s blessings and favours we have received throughout the year and give Him praise for His works in our lives. Hence, the reason why we must rejoice. All other issues facing us will be sorted out at their own time, please God.
May the joy of the Lord be our strength. Amen.
