Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6; James 5:7-10; Mt. 11:2-11
Rejoice for The Lord!
Today is Gaudete Sunday, so called because of the entrance antiphon: “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Dominus enim proper est. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” St. Paul, writing to the Philippians from jail, urged them to rejoice in the Lord. Paul would not allow his prison cell to dampen his joy. But the Second reading tells us to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Just as the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, so we too must make our hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
This theme of hope and patiently waiting for the Lord is stressed by the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. Isaiah was writing to the Jews who were in captivity in Babylon. They were sad because they had lost everything: freedom, property, homeland and the temple. They had lost hope of ever returning to their homeland. Their future was bleak, dark and gloomy. But Isaiah was more optimistic as he described the future he saw. God would bring them home and change their lives. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God… Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” The weak, the sick, the blind and the lame would be freed of their affliction and restored to wholeness. Yes, “His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps.30:5).
Isaiah’s dream of prosperity and peace is the dream and undying faith of every generation. Our dream is that, out of this brutal and cruel world, the earth will one day be at peace, its defaced beauty restored, its wounds healed, its sorrows lifted. God will open a road leading his people home, where all men and women will praise Him with one heart and mind. This, indeed, is the message of Christ to John the Baptist in prison, and to the poor and hopeless of this world: ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see’, “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers and cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” (Matthew 11:5).
But don’t we sometimes feel like the despondent children of Israel? At times, we seem to have come to the end of our ropes. There seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel. We have tried everything, and nothing seems to work. Well, John the Baptist must have felt that way too, in today’s Gospel reading. He preached repentance with fire and brimstone: reprimanding, warning, cajoling and coaxing the Jews to act with immediate alacrity: repent of their sins and bear good fruit of repentance. He, who, was a fearless preacher, who confronted kings and queens with a call to new life, ended up in Herod’s prison. He must have felt that if Christ was the Messiah, he would show him mercy and get him out of jail. But that did not happen. John may have felt like Elijah, who, after his mighty works, found himself running for dear life, and prayed God to take his life. “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1Kings 19:4). So, John sent messengers to Christ: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matt.11:3). John had run out of patience. Why was his case different? But Jesus answered John that God’s ways were not man’s ways. The kingdom of God may be slow in coming but it will certainly come. Our destiny may be delayed but never denied. Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. What have we seen and heard?
Dear friends, in whatever situation you may find yourselves in today, know that God is right there with you. Even as a country, see how far we have come. Do not forget that there was a time in this country, when people were separated by the color of their skins, and voting rights was the prerogative of a few rather than a right for eligible voters. How can we forget the struggle for emancipation and its subsequent declaration in 1863, or the civil rights movements, and all those who fought for and against it? Think of the many lives that were lost during those struggles. What made the movement possible was people’s undying faith in God and their hope for a better tomorrow. Isaiah reminded the children of Israel in exile that their freedom was within reach. This was the same faith that put freedom within reach for African Americans, living in slavery, in years long past. Their traditional spirituals, according to Pamela Crosby, “All God’s Chillun got shoes” mentions having shoes – something most slaves did not have – plus a robe, a harp, a crown and wings gave them hope. They knew none of these were actually available on earth for them at the time but held on to their faith that “there is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul. Don’t ever feel discouraged, for Jesus is your friend. And if you lack for knowledge, he’ll ne’er refuse to lend.” These struggles and the subsequent triumph of good over evil put this third week of Advent in perspective for us.
And so, we are encouraged to rejoice but to be patient at the same time. The birth of Christ will change the course of our lives. Jesus is truly the Messiah John the Baptist preached about. There is no reason to doubt that or be discouraged because things do not work out as we planned. God is still in control! Let us pray at this Mass that we may rejoice in the Lord always for He is near. For we know that “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom. 5:3-5). May this Christmas truly be the beginning of all that is good in your life. For He who is coming is Emmanuel, God with us. With Him nothing shall ever be impossible for God to do in our lives. May the birth of Christ open our hearts to receive his peace, hope, love and joy. Amen.
Points to ponder:
· Have read St. Luke’s Gospel today? You should have read 14 chapters already and getting ready for the 15th. If not, why not?
· If you have doubts like John the Baptist, feed your doubt with the word of God, don’t be sad, trust!
“Don’t forget to pray today because God didn’t forget to wake you up this morning”
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