Sunday the 15th of December 2024 - The Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday

Zephaniah 3:14-18/ Psalm Is 12:2-3. 4b-d. 5-6/ Philippians 4:4-7/ Luke 3:10-18

The third Advent candle to be lit is rose coloured, called the Shepherd’s candle it symbolises joy. This is Gaudete Sunday reminding us of the rejoicing at the birth of Jesus and marks the midway point of our Advent journey towards Christmas.

If the goal of life is to seek happiness, then where is it to be found? We can get little pockets of joy here and there but where do we find a lasting joy? We live in a relatively wealthy part of the world but even then, a lasting joy eludes most people. The truth is that this world and life in it cannot provide lasting happiness. All things here come to an end sooner or later, even our mortal lives will end. I have heard it said that money cannot buy you happiness. Some would say they know this, but they would far rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable. Either way there are many rich people who have very little to rejoice about. Often with great wealth comes great worry and anxiety. I have known people who have worked hard to obtain a certain lifestyle but have no time left to live it.

The first reading from the prophet Zephaniah calls his people to rejoice because the Lord their God was in their midst. The people were looking for the wrong sort of God and when Jesus did appear in their community, they failed to recognise him. We can do the same. We imagine a god in our minds, a god that seems to suit our own purpose. This leads us to look for the wrong sort of god blinding us to the true God who was gradually revealed in the Old Testament scripture and physically revealed in flesh and blood in the New Testament.

In the gospel today we encounter a crowd of people who are searching for meaning in their lives. They seek out a strange man called John, who lives a wild sort of life in the dessert. He is about as far from a modern-day social influencer than it would be possible to find but that is what he is. His purpose in life is the prepare the way for the long-promised Messiah. With very little to attract people to him John managed to build an air of anticipation within the community. The question to John from the crowd is, ‘What, then, shall we do?’. The answer should be no surprise and is a simple message of compassion; to share the clothing and food we have with others who have little or nothing. This is part of what it is to be Christian, to love God and to love our neighbour.

The account continues with two specific people asking how they should respond in respect to their occupations. The tax collector is told only to collect what is authorised. The tax collectors in those times were from the local community but worked for the occupying Roman authorities. They were known for over charging and creaming off the takings to line their own pockets. The soldier is told to be content with his wages and not to extort money from others through threats or fraud.

The message to the crowd, tax collector, and the soldier in the gospel is just as relevant to us today. We are called to share our good fortune with others who have little or nothing to live on. We must not exploit people we encounter, there must be no fraudulent, criminal or threatening behaviour in our dealings with others in our private or professional lives. We do not have to look far to see examples of where this message is being ignored. There are many people both near and far who are struggling to live. Through charities we are called to share what we have with others. If we work in positions of trust, we must not betray that trust seeking always to treat fairly those we deal with. We must not use threats or extortion to exploit others. We might not think we do this directly, but do we always take note of where our commodities and services come from? It might be that people are exploited to provide the goods and services we enjoy often at seemingly bargain prices. We should always seek to find ethical ways of living. Do we know or care about where our cheap food, clothing, and services come from? There are many people working both home and abroad for wages that are below that which can support them and fall outside of employment protection laws. We should not be turning a blind eye to these issues.

The message from John and his call to prepare and repent was eagerly received by the people. That same message is still relevant but is it as eagerly accepted today? John was aware that people were looking at him as the possible Messiah and made it clear that he was not the one but there was someone coming who was infinitely greater than he, someone who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and Fire. John was pointing away from himself, towards Christ, and towards the future. We need to look beyond the passing pleasures of today and be prepared for the lasting joys to come. The rose candle reminds us today to seek the joy and happiness only found with Christ.

To be prepared for the joy to come we need to abandon a sinful worldly life so that we can start living a life of grace in the lord. If we ask the same question the crowd asked John, what then shall we do? The answer will be the same. This life we live on earth is a journey of conversion, conversion from greed and self-absorption that seeks passing pleasures to one of love and compassion looking towards a joyous eternal life to come. In this way our journey through this Advent and the whole of our lives will bring us the true, lasting peace and happiness Christmas brings.

Paul, in the second reading, calls the Philippians, as he would call us today to ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice’. Advent reminds us that The Lord Jesus is at hand bringing us the peace of God which is beyond our understanding. Living in this peace should bring the hope we have in the resurrection calming the many anxieties that life brings. As we enter the last part of Advent let us look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus when the Lord our God came into our midst.

God Bless Brendan