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 3^rd Sunday of Advent, Year C (Gaudete Sunday): Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Be joyful; make others joyful too

Reading: Zeph. 3:14-18a; Phil. 4:4-7; Lk. 3:10-18

Dear friends in Christ, the liturgical name of this Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, is Gaudete Sunday, which means ‘Joyful Sunday.’ The term Gaudete comes from the Latin word “Gaudere,” meaning to rejoice, to be glad. Gaudete is the second person plural present active imperative  of Gaudere. Gaudete Sunday falls between eight to thirteen days before Christmas. This term “Gaudete” is taken from today’s Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil 4:4).

As we draw closer to Christmas, the Church invites us to rejoice because God is about to fulfil his promise to us; God is about to manifest His presence in our midst through His Son, Emmanuel, God is with us. However, the joyful mood of this Sunday does not mean we have come to the end of our preparation for Christmas. Instead, it comes as a way of urging us to be more focused and courageous. It is also a way of assuring us that our preparations shall soon be rewarded with the manifestation of Christ. Indeed, dear friends, Advent is a time of joyful expectation and eager preparation for Christmas.

The readings of today succinctly captured this festive mood of joy. They exhort us to be happy and joyful as we wait for the Lord’s coming. The first reading began this way: “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” The psalm said: “Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.” The second reading started by saying: “Brothers and sisters, Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” And the Gospel said: ^“people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.”

However, dear friends, taking a closer look at the present situation of our world, people may ask why we should rejoice. They may say, “what is there to rejoice for?” Some may say, “in the midst of the economic hardships and the wars that have ravaged many countries and made life difficult for many people, what is there to rejoice about?” Indeed, the world appears to be a theatre of new problems every day; each day comes with fresh troubles that no one knows when they will be solved.

The existential background of the first reading of today may have also raised questions and doubts in the mind of those who received the message of the prophet Zephaniah. The prophet Zephaniah prophesied between 640 and 609 BC. That time, Assyria was the dominant power and spread the worship of her gods throughout the Ancient Near East with military might; she was going from country to country, conquering nations and subjecting their people under her rule and religion. Already, Northern Israel had fallen under her power and the King of Assyria had sent a warning to Southern Israel, that is Judah, that her King and her God can’t save them.

It was in the midst of the fear of the Assyrian invasion - just as many of us are living in fear of the many forces of this world - that the prophet Zephaniah asked the people of Israel to rejoice and be glad. His reason was that their God was coming to participate in their history; He was coming to protect them from the forces of the Assyrians. This message is also directed to us today, dear friends, in our different worries and fears. The Church is telling us that our God is not far from us; He is near; He is already in our midst as the Emmanuel to participate in our history, to help us in our struggles.

The second reading of today also comes with another touching episode. When St. Paul wrote to the Philippians to rejoice, he was already in prison, covered with grief, facing maltreatment, and standing close to the date of his execution. In the midst of these sad stories that surrounded him, it was inner joy and the joyful expectation of meeting His Lord Jesus Christ that kept Paul strong. Joy in the Lord was the power that carried Paul through weaknesses, sorrows and difficulties. So, Paul could not but share this joy with his fellow Christians.

Dear friends, Paul teaches us that one of the ways to conquer the sorrows of this world is to focus on meeting Christ, an encounter that will erase the marks of the present suffering and hardship, for what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, is what God has prepared for those who love Him. Thus, if you are in difficulty, ask God to help you look beyond your immediate environment, so that you can discover the joyful presence of Christ. The joyful presence of Christ will help you to keep going where others are giving up.

To all of us who are joyfully waiting for the manifestation of Christ in our lives, John the Baptist has a challenge for us. In the gospel of today, John tells his audience and all of us not to allow our joyful mood to deprive other people of their own joy. In fact, he tells us to carry other people along as we rejoice. He challenges us to make those around us to feel our joyful mood. John called his audience in the gospel of today to be fair and just in their businesses and life affairs, so that other people around them will have a share of the joy of the Lord’s coming. He challenged them and us to put a stop to those actions which deprive others of their joy. To the tax collector, he said, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” To the soldiers, he said, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

It is obvious that the businesses of those John spoke to were depriving other people of their joy. Now, our question is this: is there anything I do which deprives other people of their God-given joy and happiness? Is it not true that to have a joyful Christmas, many business people hike the price of commodities in order to make excess gains for Christmas? Is it not true that during the Christmas season, transport fare jumps high? Is it not true that during Christmas season, robbery cases increase in many parts of our country? These and many more cases deprive many people of their joy. The remaining days of advent give us opportunities to amend our wicked ways.

John also challenges us to be generous to others.  He said, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” So, let us make other people partakers in our joy by sharing our gifts and food with them this Christmas. Let us seek out those who cannot have a worthy Christmas because of poverty and/or sickness and help them to have a reason to rejoice. 

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima