20171217
ANTICIPATING THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Rose or Violet.
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First reading
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Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11 ©
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The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up hearts that are broken;
to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to those in prison;
to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Luke 1:46-50,53-54 ©
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My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
My soul rejoices in my God.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
My soul rejoices in my God.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy.
My soul rejoices in my God.
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Second reading
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1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 ©
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Be happy at all times; pray constantly; and for all things give
thanks to God, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.
Never try to
suppress the Spirit or treat the gift of prophecy with contempt; think before
you do anything – hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil.
May the God
of peace make you perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless,
spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has called
you and he will not fail you.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Is61:1(Lk4:18)
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 1:6-8,19-28 ©
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A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
only a witness to speak for the light.
This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but
he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are
you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So
they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent
us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah
prophesied:
a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for the Lord.’
Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this
further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and
not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but
there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after
me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on
the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.
17 DECEMBER, 2017, Sunday, 3rd Week of Advent
ANTICIPATING THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ISA 61:1-2.10-11; 1 THESS 5:16-24; JN 1:6-8.19-28
]
We are
mid-way into our preparation for Christmas. This Sunday, which is the third Sunday of
Advent, is celebrated as Gaudete Sunday, which means a Sunday of
rejoicing. To mark the change in sentiment, the liturgical color for this
Sunday is pink, a symbol of joy. Indeed, all the three readings for this
Sunday echo the theme of joy. In the first reading, the prophet
says, “I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has
clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of
integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her
jewels.” In the responsorial psalm taken from the magnificat, Mary sang
for joy. “My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour. He
looks on his servant in her nothingness; henceforth all ages will call me
blessed.” In the second reading, St Paul urges the Christians, “Be happy
at all times.” Of course, the fullness of joy comes at Christmas when we
celebrate the birth of Christ and most of all, the birth of Christ in our
hearts.
However, this
does not mean that from now until Christmas we live a life of sadness and
emptiness. The Church invites us to anticipate the joy of Christmas here
and now. Indeed, the truth of every great celebration is not just the day
of the celebration itself, which of course is the climax. Rather, the joy
of the celebration is dependent on two factors; the preparation before it and
the day itself. Both are very much inter-related. The depth of the
joy of the day of the celebration is very much dependent on how much we have
prepared ourselves for it. On the other hand, in the very act of the
preparation, we are already entering into the joy of the celebration.
This is true
in a wedding, the symbol of joy as mentioned in today’s first reading. The climax of the
celebration in a person’s life is his or her wedding. But it takes
months, if not years, to come to this day. There are so many things to be
done before the wedding day. The relationship between the couple must be
intensified. Rough corners and disagreements must be sorted and ironed
out. Reconciliation and forgiveness for each other’s negligence or wrongs
should take place before the wedding so that the couple can start on a new
chapter. Then there is the material preparation for the wedding, the
dinner, the gowns, the invitations, etc. Most of all, the couple needs
spiritual preparation for their wedding so that they know what they are
entering into, their commitments, responsibilities and the important role that
God and faith play in their relationship. Until all these have been
done, the couple would not be ready to enter into marriage.
This is the
real problem facing marriages today. Many are taking marriage
lightly and that is why many marriages do not last. Today, there is a tendency
to secularize the wedding and make it into a mundane and everyday affair.
The solemnity and sacredness of the wedding is emptied from the
celebration. Many think that the wedding is an entertainment. They
marry in the sky, in the sea, underneath the water, on the cliff, etc. There
is no seriousness in wanting the marriage to last. There is a
lack of emotional and spiritual preparation of the couple for the
wedding. Many get married when they are emotionally not ready, because
they are still suffering the loss of a previous relationship and in their
vacuum, they readily jump into another relationship. When marriages
are not well prepared, we do not expect any solemn celebration. It is
just another social gathering.
But if there
is preparation, the marriage will become sacred and meaningful. The love that is
celebrated on the wedding day will be intense. Most of all, the
preparations for the wedding itself will bring great joy for the couple as they
get ready for that big day together, sharing the joys, the difficulties and the
partnership.
What is true
for the celebration of marriage is true for all other celebrations, especially
the feast of Christmas. The question is whether we are seriously
preparing for the feast of Christmas. This is what the Church is asking of us through John the
Baptist. The gospel tells us, “A man came, sent by God. His name was
John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that
everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to
speak for the light.” It is the task of John the Baptist to do what
the prophet Isaiah said, to be “a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a
straight way for the Lord.”
The work of
John the Baptist was to prepare the people to meet the bridegroom. The Church is called
the bride of God and Jesus is our bridegroom. St John calls himself the
friend of the bridegroom. He said later, “You yourselves bear me witness,
that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. He who has
the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears
him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore this joy of mine is
now full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:28-30)
How can we be
prepared to meet the bridegroom? What kind of wedding preparations must
we make to welcome the bridegroom on Christmas day? Firstly, we need to
“make a straight way for the Lord.” This was what St Paul wrote to the Christians, “Hold on to
what is good and avoid every form of evil. May the God of peace make you
perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless, spirit, soul and
body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has called you and he will
not fail you.” If we want to enter into the joy of Christmas, and to
welcome the birth of Jesus in our hearts, we must free our hearts from all
sins, evil and selfishness. When we live a life of integrity, there will
be peace and joy in our hearts. This is what the prophet says, “I exult
for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the
garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a
bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.”
Without living a life of integrity and honesty, our conscience will haunt us
and take away whatever joy and peace the Lord wants to give to us at Christmas.
If we have begun to walk a straight path, we are already entering into the joy
of the Lord.
Secondly, we
need to pray.
St Paul said, “Be happy at all times; pray constantly.” There can be no
peace in our hearts unless we make space for Him in our hearts and in our
minds. The problem is that our hearts and minds are cluttered with
worries, anxieties, unforgiveness, anger, resentment, envy and
greed. We need to make time for prayer. Give yourself a
break, a real holiday by spending a day or even a few days in solitude and
prayer, whether in a retreat house or in the garden, or take a walk or sit
before the Blessed Sacrament. We need to have some quiet time each day,
especially when we come to the end of the year. We need to take stock of how
we have lived our life this entire year. We need to rethink and
reprioritize the way we live our lives. Unless we live purposeful and
meaningful lives, we cannot find happiness and peace. Prayer gives us
peace, direction, focus and most of all, surrender to the plan of God.
Thirdly, we
must give thanks. St Paul says, “And for all things give thanks to God,
because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.”
Unless, we know how to thank God for the gifts which we have received, we
will not be grateful to Him. Happiness in life is about
thanksgiving. Those of us who are ingrates are always looking at what we
do not have instead of what we already have. When we give thanks, we
become grateful for what we have received and we are open to God who wants to
give us more. When we are grateful, we also become generous ourselves. We
begin to share with others what we have received. By sharing with others
our joys, our resources, our wealth and our things, we in turn receive the joy
of making a difference in the lives of others. We become happier when we
act like God in being life-givers, bringers of joy and peace into the lives of
others. That is why we invite people to give gifts to each other at
Christmas, especially to the poor, so that we can partake in His joy of giving
and loving.
Finally, we
must ask for a renewal of the Holy Spirit in our lives. St John the Baptist said, “I
baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who
is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.” St Luke
elaborated, “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming,
the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Lk 3:16)
To ask for the Holy Spirit is to ask for a rebirth. The baptism of John
the Baptist brings about the forgiveness of sins. Christian baptism
brings about the bestowal of the Holy Spirit. This is what it means to
speak about Christ being born again in our hearts.
This is what
will enable us to be like John the Baptist, to be a witness to Christ. Like the Messiah
prophesied in the first reading, we can also say, “The spirit of the Lord has
been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good
news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken; to proclaim liberty to
captives, freedom to those in prison; to proclaim a year of favour from the
Lord.” We must allow the Spirit and His gifts to be used for the service
of God and our people. As we bring Christ to others, we reinforce
the Christ in us. It is the Holy Spirit living in us that will ensure we
bear fruits in our mission. “For as the earth makes fresh things grow, as
a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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