Homily of the 3rd Sunday of Advent
Zephaniah 3:14-18, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18
The third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, signifies joy as Christmas draws near. The rose candle, lit on this day, symbolises rejoicing and hope amidst the penitential tone of the advent season. Its colour reflects a break from the somber purple, reminding us of the joy brought by Christ’s coming. Gaudete, meaning “rejoice,” encourages us to embrace the anticipation of Jesus’ birth with gladness and gratitude, while continuing our spiritual preparation for his arrival.
There is a special joy and sense of contentment we have when realised that we have God. His banner over us allays our fears and makes us selfless in our dealings with others. This is because we know and believe that God is always there to provide for us and that he remains our shield.
In the book of Zephaniah, the prophet said, “Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear.”
When we have God, we have everything. Having God entails giving him a place in our heart, allowing him to determine the rhythm of our lives trusting that he will surely lead us to the right path. Our maker has the right knowledge of how our lives should be.
The evidence of God’s presence in us must be seen in our countenance. Paul said to the Philippians,
“I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near. There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.”
More so, the contentment we have as God’s children will be evident in what we do in our relationship with others. When the repentant crowd asked John what they must do, he said to them,
“If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!”
Gaining the whole world and losing our peace is self-undoing. Knowing God is like having the world under our feet. May the joy of the Lord remain our strength.
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