|
I Reading:
Zeph 3:14-18
II Reading: Phil 4:4-7
Gospel: Lk: 3:10-18
Like love, the word joy
is charged with emotion. On this mid-way (3rd)
Sunday of Advent the liturgy urges us to be joyful. Who
among us, our lives beset with every conceivable problem
in the world would not welcome this soothing message?
But the question that also promptly springs to mind is,
how? Of course, a host of keen pundits are easily
available to advice us on how to be joy-filled. The
leading expert, as you have rightly guessed, is the
media.
In no uncertain terms,
we are told that we haven’t the slenderest chance of
happiness unless we are seated in the driver’s seat of
the latest car. Make sure to be seen in designer fashion
clothes or we’ll pay the price of going unnoticed and
left dejected. The newest fancy mobile, brings
unimaginable exhilaration to life. And so the list goes
on.
In the scriptures
happiness comes with the presence of God among us and
with his gifts and especially the gift of salvation.
Zephaniah in today’s
first reading exhorts the remnant of Israel to “sing”
and “rejoice” because of the eagerly anticipated
messianic day. The lord is in the midst of his people
like a glorious, mighty, “hero” executing judgment in
favour of his own; driving out fear and immobilizing
despair. And “he will take great delight in you” and
“rejoice over you with gladness”.
Although the preaching
of John the Baptist has a rather stern side to it, yet
his listeners were “filled with expectation”. I can
confidently guess joyful expectation. A hopeful
expectation that shortly history would climax in the
advent of the long desired Messiah.
Hence after all,
judgment and the stern aspects of the advent message
need not be a scary affair. There is the bright side. St
Paul too reassures his readers “do not worry”, “the Lord
is near”, in fact as the responsorial psalm has it
“great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Therefore, “ I trust, I shall not fear”, “with joy you
will draw water from the wells of salvation”.
However, there is a
“catch” here. We can be happy only, and in so far as we
are willing to share happiness with others. John is
clear on what it takes to be truly joyous, solidarity
and willingness to give. If we shirk responsibility of
sharing ourselves and our possessions with our needy
sisters and brothers then the Lord of peace and joy will
be non-existent to us.
Let us make the opening
prayer of the first Sunday of Advent, once again, our
own. “All-powerful God increase our strength of will for
doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at His
coming.” And let us rejoice always in the certain hope
of his abiding presence. |
