Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 11, 2022 - 3rd Sunday of Advent - A
[Isa 35:1-6a, 10; Jas 5:7-10; Matt 11:2-11]Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those who are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God! [Isaiah] Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. [James] "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf fear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them." [Matthew]
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called "Gaudete" Sunday - a word meaning "rejoice!" I suppose that is because the feast of Christmas is near and the period of penitential preparation is almost over. Advent is not quite the same as Lent with regard to such penitential practices as fast and abstinence or "giving up" something, but it does have its difficult challenges. For students where I live, final exams begin in Advent! The culture and media bombard us with the importance of shopping, if nothing else to help the national economy! I wonder if frankincense and myrrh are available on Amazon? (probably) The season requires determination to focus on the "reason for the season." Christ is not coming to save the economy!
Isaiah and James speak to the necessity of being strong and ready for the coming of the Lord. Jesus tells the disciples of John that the day has come. All they have to do is look around and see what Jesus is doing. What do we see and hear? And what do we proclaim? We may not be able to cleanse lepers or restore sight and mobility, but there are many other ways. This season is difficult even for those who are doing well, but for those who suffer loss, there is not a lot to "rejoice about." It will take determination and intentionality to overcome the cultural secular side and give the hope that our baptism has commissioned us to give. We will have to "make our hearts firm!" AMEN