Gaudete Sunday: Rejoice

                                    3rd Sunday of Advent

                                   

In earlier times the third Sunday in Advent was known as "Gaudete Sunday" because the entrance prayer or "Introit" began with the Latin words, "gaudete in domino semper." Translated the phrase means "rejoice in the Lord always." Today, as it has always done, the Church injects an element of joy into the penitential season of Advent. In many churches the priest will put aside the purple vestments that signify sorrow and penance, and put on rose colored vestments, a symbol of joy. The Church is asking us to look ahead to the glory of the coming of the Savior on Christmas.

In this liturgical year the first reading for each of the Sundays in Advent is taken from a different Hebrew prophet. Two weeks ago it was Isaiah and last week it was the somewhat lesser known Baruch. Today, the reading is from the prophet Zephaniah. It is common for us to think of a prophet as someone who foretells the future but usually the Hebrew prophets just talk about their own time, especially its problems. No prophet deals with problems more than Zephaniah but in today’s reading he sings a different song. 

            Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

Sing joyfully, O Israel!

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

Despite all their problems, there is reason for this joy. “The Lord is in your midst,” he says. He repeats it again, “The Lord is in your midst.” Zephaniah was speaking to the ancient Hebrews, but his words are also meant for us. If only we could realize that the Lord is in our midst. 

In today’s gospel, John the Baptist, the last of the Hebrew prophets is trying to convince the people of his time that the Lord is coming into their midst. He says,

            I am baptizing you with water,

But one mightier than I is coming.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The crowds ask John what they should do to prepare for his coming. His words could profit all of us this Advent. We could begin by sharing with those who have less than we do, especially in these economic hard times. John’s advice for preparation is not radical or impossible. He does not recommend that we give up everything; just that we share.  

Consider the two groups who approach John in today’s reading. Tax collectors and soldiers, better to say policemen, were two of the most hated groups in Israel. Both were regarded as agents of the hated Roman conquerors. The tax collectors were notorious for gouging the people, and the police were noted for bullying and extortion. John doesn’t say that their occupations are sinful or ignoble. He doesn’t tell them to give up their careers. He only tells them to act with honesty and justice.

As usual this year has been an especially bad one for the rich and famous in our society. How could so many politicians, entertainers, athletes, and other celebrities who had worked so hard to get to the top of their respective professions mess up so miserably? Could it be that the success they sought was not that fulfilling? Could it be that the possessions they acquired did not make them really happy or joyful? Maybe they just thought that their success was due to their efforts alone, and that they failed to see the God in their midst.

We shouldn’t gloat when we hear their stories. Just because we fly under the media radar doesn’t mean that we can’t be self-satisfied. Most of us have homes that would be palaces to most of the world’s people. We have cars for each member of our family, not to mention TVs, cell phones, and computers. Still, it never seems to be enough. 

Here we are only two weeks before Christmas. What are we looking for this season? What do we want for ourselves and our loved ones this Christmas? Why are we going out to the malls and the shopping centers? Aren't we all trying to find happiness? Aren't we all trying to cast away fear and darkness and bring some joy and light into our lives? Look at the way we light up our houses, look at the music we hear coming over the radio. 

I recall an article I read some years ago by a man who was a well known lecturer, TV personality, and author. He had a beautiful wife and son and was extremely successful. Yet he wrote, "I am almost 60. Time flies and it scares me. I don't want to die. I like being in good health. I don't want to be sick and have wires and tubes and scalpels in me. I like having enough money. I don't want to be old and poor. I sat in my car...shivering in fear. And then it struck me. I spend too darned much of my life in fear. I always have. You can't imagine how much of my life I have thrown away by being a slave to fear."

In today's second reading from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians he echoes the words of the prophet Zephaniah and urges his friends to “rejoice in the Lord always.” We should realize that “the Lord is near,” and that fear and anxiety are not the answer. 

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,

By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

Make your requests known to God. 

No one is saying that we should give up our jobs and our homes but if we can only recognize that all we have comes form the Lord, 

            Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding

Will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

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Reading 1. Zephaniah 3: 14-18a

Reading II. Philippians 4: 4-7

Gospel. Luke 3:10-18 (one mightier than I).

Advent Preparation

                                    2nd Sunday of Advent

                                 

In this liturgical year the first reading for each of the Sundays in Advent is taken from a different Hebrew prophet. Last week it was Isaiah and this week it is the somewhat lesser known Baruch. It is common for us to think of a prophet as someone who foretells the future but usually the Hebrew prophets just talk about their own time, especially its problems. They also stress the need for change. Isn’t that what Advent is all about? It is a time for us to take stock of where and who we are; and to realize what we need to do to get back on track.

Baruch begins by urging Jerusalem to take off its “robe of mourning and misery.” Now, whenever we hear an Old Testament prophet use the word “Jerusalem”, we should realize that he is not speaking about a city or place. Jerusalem means the whole nation or people of God. In the same way, we speak of the Church today as the people of God. In Baruch’s time the people had been scattered and dispersed by foreign conquest. As he says, they have even been forcibly led away into exile and captivity.

He does, however, predict a return, a restoration of the Kingdom, in words similar to those used by Isaiah last week,

            For God had commanded

That every lofty mountain be made low,

And that the age-old depths and gorges

Be filled to level ground, 

That Israel may advance secure in the glory of God.

These words are echoed in today’s gospel account and St. Luke sees their fulfillment in “the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” preached by John the Baptist, the last great Hebrew prophet. In other words, all this business about leveling the mountains, straightening the roads, and filling in the gorges has to do with our own personal lives. 

John the Baptist was a real historical figure who appeared at the appointed time to point the way to the One who was going to change everything. But notice, he does not say that God will do the heavy road construction work. It is up to us to prepare the way, make straight the paths, fill the valleys, and level the mountains and hills.

When John speaks of repentance, he is talking about looking over our lives and taking stock of who we are and where we are going. Advent is a perfect time for us to do so. It is the beginning of a new year so to speak. For centuries the Church has advised us to examine our conscience. In particular, such a review might examine a dominant fault and work on ways to correct it, or it might consider a particular strength or virtue and consider ways to increase it.

Even though the phrase may sound strange to us today, the idea is not outmoded. At the end of each year business people are advised to look back on the past year and consider what worked and what didn't work. They spend hours examining their strengths and weaknesses. For the upcoming year they are urged to prepare a business plan where they will work on developing their strengths and overcoming their weaknesses.

Athletes do the same thing. Every week coaches spend hours examining game films to see what they did right and what they did wrong. Whole practices are devoted to making the necessary corrections and incorporating them into next week’s game plan. Why do we spend so much time preparing for games but so little time preparing for the game of life? 

When it comes to the most important things in our own lives we fail to examine our conscience? As the old saying goes, people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. What did we do wrong last year? How did we hurt ourselves and our loved ones? Can we begin now to rid ourselves of bad or destructive habits? 

On the positive side what strengths or virtues do we possess? What can we do to build spiritual muscle memory so that good behavior becomes easy and natural to us? The word virtue merely means a good habit, while a vice is a bad habit. Now is the time to kick the bad habits and concentrate on the good. 

In today's second reading from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians he ends with a little prayer in which he urges his people to reflect on their lives and consider what they really value:

And this is my prayer:

That your love may increase ever more and more

In knowledge and every kind of perception,

To discern what is of value,

So that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…

The biggest criticism against Christians today is that we are no different than anyone else. Rather than being a light to the nations, the darkness in our society seems to be overwhelming us. We don't have to go about wearing our religion on our sleeve but in our homes, our schools, and in our businesses we should be producing good fruit. We don't need laws and judges to bring Christ back into Christmas. All we need is for Christians to act like Christians.

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Reading 1. Baruch 5: 1-9

Reading II. Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11

Gospel. Luke 3:1-6 (Prepare the Way).

Advent: Be Vigilant

                                    1st Sunday of Advent

                                    

A few years ago three films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic story, "The Lord of the Rings," enjoyed enormous critical and popular success. Issued in three successive years around Christmas time, they were a box office smash. The third in the series, entitled, "The Return of the King," won the Academy award for "Best Picture." Most of us know by now that both the three volume book and the films tell the story of a great journey or adventure undertaken by a group of men, elves, dwarves, and the now famous hobbits.

The adventure begins however in a smaller book of Tolkien's called "The Hobbit." In that book one particular hobbit is woken out of a quiet peaceful afternoon nap by a violent knocking on his door. To his amazement he is told that he must rouse himself out of his comfort and complacency and embark on a dangerous adventure whose end is far from certain. In the course of the adventure he will find that there is more to life than he ever dreamed, and that there is more to himself than he ever dreamed.

Isn't it odd that the word "advent" is contained in the word, "adventure"? Advent is not just a time of preparation for Christmas, it is a time for all of us to consider how far we have progressed on the great adventure of life. Let's consider the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah: 

            The days are coming, says the Lord,

            When I will fulfill the promise

            I made to the house of Israel and Judah.

The prophet is speaking about a new age when everything will be different. .

This is the reason why Advent, the season which marks the beginning of the Church year, has traditionally begun with readings reminding us of the end of the world. In today's gospel from St. Luke, Jesus refers to the calamities that will occur at the passing of the old world. Nevertheless, he tells us not to fear but to stand erect and raise our heads for our redemption is at hand. Our Lord's advice whether it be the end of the whole world or just the end of our own little world is the same. "Be vigilant at all times." When the time comes, we should be ready to face it. In particular, we should 

            Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy,

            From carousing and drunkenness

            And the anxieties of daily life...

Advent has always been regarded as a season of preparation. Why is it that we prepare for everything in life but often fail to prepare for the most important thing in life? What football team would go into the weekend's big game without practicing all week? What will they practice? Why, the very same formations and plays that they expect to use when they are put to the test. During the week they will also be in the weight room preparing their bodies for the blows to come. On game day they will put on their protective gear or armor. Only a fool would go into such combat improperly equipped.

In business it's much the same thing. Salesmen practice their presentations before facing their customers. They learn how to anticipate and overcome every objection. In politics look how even the presidential candidates go through rigorous prepping and role play before debating their opponents.

How should we prepare for life's great adventure? Let's see if we can come up with a list of things to do this Advent season they will help us on our way. First, let's take St. Paul's advice. 

            Increase and abound in love,

            For one another and for all…,

            So as to strengthen your hearts,  

            To be blameless in holiness….

We can all think of ways to "throw off the works of darkness," but St. Paul also urges us to "put on the armor of light." There is no better way to do so this season than by increasing our attendance at Mass. Certainly, in this season when we should all be looking forward to the coming of Christ, he comes to us in each and every Mass. Besides  Sunday Mass we will celebrate the great feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, a true Holy Day of Opportunity. 

Finally, I can think of no better way to counter the stress and worry of this mad shopping season than to attend daily Mass during Advent. We will find a half hour of peace and tranquility every day and encounter some of the most beautiful readings in the Missal. We will get an opportunity to reconcile ourselves with God and our neighbor when we recite the Kyrie Eleison, the Confiteor, the Our Father and the Agnus Dei. We can offer the kiss of peace to our friends and family. We can offer thanks to God for all the good things that have been given us, and then we can approach the altar to receive the true gift of Christmas, the gift of God's only Son. 

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Reading 1. Jeremiah 33: 14-16

Reading II. 1 Thessalonians 3: 12—4:2

Gospel. Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36 (Be vigilant).

The Kingdom of God

                                    Christ the King

                                 

Stained Glass Window
Assumption Church
Fairfield, CT

Today's feast of Christ the King marks the end of the church year. Although Christians have always believed in the Kingship of Christ, the feast is a relatively recent one dating only from 1925. Pope Pius IX instituted the new feast after a devastating world war which saw millions killed and empires fall. The Kaiser of defeated Germany was forced to abdicate his throne; the Tsar of Russia was deposed and executed by angry revolutionaries; the Austrian empire--the heir to the Holy Roman empire which had lasted for over a thousand years--was broken up into a number of small states; and the Turkish empire, which had ruled the Middle East for over 500 years, was also overthrown, an event which led to the anarchy in that area which persists even today. Even though the English monarchy survived the war, the mighty British empire was mortally wounded.

At a time when the very idea of Kingship was on the way out, the Pope chose to emphasize the Kingship of Christ. The Second Vatican Council reemphasized the importance of the feast when it moved it from the last Sunday in October to the very last Sunday of the church year. Naturally, the theme of today's readings is Kingship. The first reading from the Book of Daniel speaks of one who has received “dominion, glory, and kingship.” 

In America we have never been partial to kings or the idea of Kingship. We pride ourselves on being a government "of the people, for the people, and by the people." It wasn't only that our founding fathers revolted against King George III of England but their aversion to kingship went even deeper. 

Kings were supposed to be God's divinely appointed representatives on earth. Their coronations were religious ceremonies where the new king would be anointed with holy oils by a religious leader. Political philosophers spoke of the "divine right of kings" to justify their power. Ever since the time of King Henry the Eighth, the kings and queens of England had acted as head of the Church of England. Old traditions held that the King even possessed miraculous healing powers. It was believed that merely touching his cloak could cure many physical maladies.

By the time of our revolution it was clear that most kings were not what they were supposed to be. Many had come to their thrones not by divine right or election but through violence and usurpation. Many did not behave like representatives of God especially when it came to being good shepherds. A King was supposed to be the best and noblest man in the nation but often he seemed to be the worst. Even if they started out with good intentions, power corrupted them.

But what if there was a person whose teaching was both simpler and wiser than any of the world's great philosophers? What if this same teacher was able to calm storms at sea and even walk on the angry waters? What if there was a person who did indeed possess miraculous healing powers? -- if merely touching his cloak could cure both physical and spiritual ailments? What if there was a person who could feed the multitudes not only with bread for a day but with the bread of everlasting life? What if there was a person whose power was so great that he could even bring the dead back to life? Finally, what if there was a person who rather than being corrupted by power, surrendered his own life for his people? Shouldn't we call that person our King?

In today's gospel from St. John we see our King on this last Sunday of the Church year on trial before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. In this scene Pilate puts the question to Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered:

You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.

All year we have been reading St. Mark’s account of our Lord's journey to Jerusalem. We've followed Him on the journey, heard the famous parables, witnessed the miracles and the miraculous cures and healings. He asked us to take up our cross and follow Him and promised that if we would do so we would enter into His Kingdom. Actually, He said that His Kingdom would enter into us--that the Kingdom of God would be within us. 

Let's end this Church year by visualizing the scene on the Cross. Let's imagine that we are one of the thieves being crucified along with Jesus and that our own journey through life is coming to an end. Wouldn't we want to hear the famous words in the gospel when the King turns to us and says,

            Amen, I say to you,

            today you will be with Me in Paradise.

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Reading 1. Daniel 7: 13-14

Reading II. Revelations 1: 5-8

Gospel. John 18: 33b-37 (You say I am a king)