December 15, 2024; 3rd Sunday of Advent (Year C)

Readings: Zep. 3:14-18; Phil. 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18

Live, Love, and Laugh

1.    Today is the third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday. At this Mass, we wear a rose-colored chasuble and light the rose-colored candle. The Entrance Antiphon is from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” There are 10 days to Christmas, the birth of Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16). We rejoice, not because everything is perfect, but because despite the deplorable condition of the world and its sinful nature, God deems it fit to come to our rescue through his Son, born of a woman to reconcile us to himself. The birth of Christ will bring us joy, peace, and happiness. But we must prepare for his coming by a life of repentance so that He may find us waiting in expectation for him. John the Baptist is still in the desert, calling us to repent, to a change of heart. He tells us to change the direction of our lives. Good deeds must accompany our repentance.

 

2.    Those who went to see John and heard his preaching were touched by his message. They wanted to know what practical bearing such a change of disposition might have on their lives (what should we do?). John told them that heeding the call to conversion implies a shift in one’s lifestyle. He answered the persistent questions of their hearts and called the crowds, the tax collectors, and the soldiers to a new way of relating to others. To the question ‘What should we do?’ John answered: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. Whoever has food should do likewise.” We must share what we have with others, especially those who do not have as much as we do. The love of God is made manifest through sharing. The early Christians lived a life of sharing: “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or house would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.” (Acts 4:32-35). Christ reminds us that whatever we did for the least of his people, we did it for him (Mt. 25:31-46).

3.    To the tax collectors, John said, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” They, too, must be baptized in preparation for the Messiah. Tax collectors were detested and discriminated against as the instruments of the Roman occupying power and seen by their fellow Jews as extortionists. John told them to live in social justice with their compatriots, avoiding the corruption that typified their profession, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” The Messiah has no discrimination: He excludes no one from his presence. John, the evangelist, expressed it better, “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave the power to become children of God.” (John 1:11). John the Baptist assured the tax collectors that living a life of grace would guarantee them a place in the new dispensation.

4.    Soldiers, too, wanted John to help them out. Soldiers were serving in the army of Herod Antipas as police. They supported the tax collectors in levying tolls and duties. John reprimanded them against intimidating the people. Though poorly paid and using their positions to extort money from people and threaten them with trumped-up charges, they were to change their approach to their duties. “Do not practice extortion; do not falsely accuse anyone. Be satisfied with your wages.” John reminded them that having a new life means having a different outlook on things and people. By treating people fairly, with justice, love, and compassion, we experience the peace and joy of a new life of grace at the birth of Christ. Let us apply the instructions John gave the different professions to ourselves and rejoice as people who have experienced Jesus in their lives.

5.    On this Gaudete Sunday, we rejoice and celebrate for “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love; he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” Christ, our life has come into the world; therefore, we must live, love, and laugh. His birth brings us life; we celebrate life because he lives. Life makes it possible to love; we love and laugh because God is in our midst. So, dear friends, let us do something that will bring joy, laughter, and happiness to somebody’s life today. Let us give something to someone this Christmas that will bring a smile to their faces, no matter how small. For in sharing our joy with others, we experience God’s love. St. Francis tells us that it is in giving that we receive. May we give a gift of love to someone this day so that they may live, love, and laugh, for Jesus, the greatest gift giver, is in our midst. May God bless us today and always. Amen!  

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP