Sunday Reflections

Third Sunday of Advent December 12, 2021

Zephaniah 3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18

(Image courtesy: Mangalore diocese)

A man once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need   only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work.  "Where are you   going to install the idol?" The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked.  The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled, and said, "I will know it.” 

Sunday of Rejoicing: On this third Sunday of Advent, the church invites us to rejoice and prepare ourselves for the coming of the Saviour.  The first word of the Antiphon is Gaudete, meaning rejoice and the entire texts of the Mass are filled with the expressions of joy and jubilation.  Even the vestment colour is changed from the original purple to rose or pink.  The entrance antiphon starts with the word: “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Today's readings are a continuation of our preparation for the coming of the Lord Jesus. This truth can be perceived in three different ways:  It commemorates the incarnation of God on earth through the birth of Christ Jesus; it represents our appearing before the Lord at the end of this life; and it represents the final coming of the Lord Jesus in full glory at the end of times. The readings tell us that Christian joy or happiness is deep down in the heart and is not incompatible with physical and emotional pain or difficult external circumstances. Joy is the gift of God to those whom he has specially chosen. It is, as Jesus says it is the gift which he personally gives and it is something that no one can take away from us. The problem is that we identify our happiness with people or things we don't have and often can't have.  However, with Jesus joy is spiritual and a blessing that he gives us.

Do you hear the words of John the Baptist today? They are alive even today in our context. They asked him the question as to what they must do in order to change and enter into the divine stream. We have the answer from John and Jesus that we ought to change our lives. Our world of today is full of injustices and sad to say that the Christian countries who profess to be followers of Christ have gone into the abyss of secularism.  This has led the community to enter into the celebrations of the year of faith as per the wishes of the Holy Father.  Here again, Pope invites us to profess our Faith in the presence of God and become new evangelizes in the world.  John announced in his days to prepare the way of the Lord and await the long-promised messiah.  The image of the Old Testament of cleansing and purifying is given to us even today.  Let us pray to God to grant us the grace to change ourselves and listen to his message that we may be his instruments in the proclamation of the Word.

Happy Sunday