Homily For Third Sunday of Advent Year A (Gaudete Sunday), 11th December, 2022

 Readings: Is.35:1-6.10; Ps. 145; James 5:7-10; Luke 3:10-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOW CAN WE REJOICE IN A WORLD FULL OF CRISIS, WICKEDNESS, CORRUPTION AND SIN?

The entrance antiphon of today’s Mass begins by saying: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. Yes, every third Sunday of Advent the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday in Advent season when we are called to rejoice for the coming of the Lord is very near. On this Sunday, we put on rose vestments a colour that is only used twice in the entire liturgical year, first on a day like this when we celebrate the Gaudete Sunday and secondly on the fourth Sunday of Lent when we celebrate the Laetare Sunday. This Gaudete Sunday is named as such because we are called to rejoice in the Lord forever.

So, our focus this Sunday is on the theme of Joy and we can recall that for the past two Sundays of Advent our focus were on the aspects of Hope and Peace. This theme of Joy ushers us into the most important disposition of the season of Advent that calls us to preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas when the true Joy of the Lord will be born in our hearts. Little wonder prophet Isaiah in our first reading today said: Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. Strengthen all weary hands, Steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming, then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy. They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy and gladness will go with them and sorrow and lament be ended.

This message of hope and joy came in anticipation for the liberation of the people of Israel from their long exile in Babylon for they had faced great humiliation and sufferings due to their own infidelities and stubbornness, their abandonment of God, His laws and commandments. Because of these grievous sins, they were sent to exile in Babylon where they were brought low and defeated, but as the Lord remembered them and promised to save them, prophet Isaiah called them once again to rejoice. This joyous return to Zion of the liberated Israelites through the transformed Syrian desert are signs of the messianic era. The signs of the coming of God’s Kingdom into this World which will bring victory over afflictions and joy over sadness, life over death through Christ Jesus our Lord whose coming is the beginning of the new world to come. So, we are called to rejoice for the day of the Lord is close at hand.

Dear friends, how can we rejoice in a world full of crisis, wickedness, corruption and sin? Because the ugly situation humanity has found herself today is quite similar to the situation of the people of Israel in Babylon. Today humanity has found herself in Babylon of different degrees and it seems as if no hope for her restoration. Today humanity has found herself in deep Babylon of sin and corruption, impurity, evil of the highest order. We have found ourselves in Babylon of iniquities of the highest degree, we have found ourselves in Babylon of wars, kidnapping and killing of each other. We have found ourselves in Babylon of hatred as never before. People hating each other at different levels, colours, religion even within our families and shamelessly among married couples. 

Oh humanity, why have we chosen to dwell in Babylon of greediness, where one will choose to kill, blackmail and tarnish the good image of people just to have it all? I, I, I, me, me, me, is the slogan of the day, if I can’t have it no one will have it. Oh poor humanity, why have we chosen to dwell in Babylon of immorality at the highest level in the history of mankind. No single respect for the sanctity of the human body and soul. We dine in sexual immorality of different degrees and we package them with beautiful names to make them even more captivating. Everything we do now must be sexy in order to gain recognition. 

What is going on with us, when will these Babylon be over?  When are we going to say no to these ugly ways of life. When will we say no to oppression and criminal activities? When will we say no to killing, blackmail and tarnishing of the good image of one another. When will we say no to corruption, impurity and greediness. When will we say no to hatred and unforgiveness. When will we say yes to integrity, holiness, purity of heart? When will we say yes to peace, to love, to kindness and care for one another. 

Today in our Gospel passage we heard how the Lord Jesus said to the people after responding to the disciples of John the Baptist who came asking if Jesus is the Messiah or they should wait for another person. He said to them: Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’, And talk about John the Baptist, Jesus said: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen.

My dear friends, we can truly rejoice when we embrace this message of Jesus. We can only rejoice when we say yes  to God and no to evil. We can only rejoice when we become agents of peace and learn to wait patiently for the Lord’s will to be done in our lives. Little wonder St.  James in our second reading today said: Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of your love and joy, as you call us to rejoice today in preparation for the coming  of your Son our Lord Jesus, help us to do away with our ugly ways of life that prevents us for obtaining your true Joy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you.