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Homilies are posted no later than during the week
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3 Advent
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Third
Sunday of Advent - B Cycle - John 1:6-8, 19-28
The magnificent portrait of John the Baptist by the
16th century Caravaggio was shown in the United States for but one
time. Were you fortunate enough to see it? I was not.
However, I did the next best thing. I read the
superb Life of Christ by the Japanese author, Shusaku Endo. He is the
Caravaggio of the East with his pen. His splendid word portrayal of
John the Baptizer has given birth to this homily.
Can you imagine a country today without
newspapers, TV, and fax machines? Such was Palestine twenty centuries
ago. Still, detailed reports about the preaching of John the Baptist
way down in southern Palestine made their way as far north to Jesus in
the hick town of Nazareth. This will give you an idea of the socko
magnetism that John out of of Elizabeth and Zachary possessed. We talk
about a superstar.
When Christ heard of the details of John's
talks via the grapevine, He sold His tools and set up a fund for His
mother. He walked south to check John out. This is the pilgrim
Jesus.
His trip was a long one. His constant
companions were
the dreadful heat by day and bone shivering cold by night.
The journey would take four days. Finally, He came on large
crowds at the Jordan River listening raptly to His cousin. Like
them, the Christ hung on every word. The Gospel shows He was
so moved by the preacher that He insisted upon being baptized
by him. Initially, John had the good sense to decline. He knew he had a
tiger by the tail. But Jesus was not the kind of Man you said no to
then or now. The apocryphal Gospel of Thomas states He said, "He who is
near me is near fire." That says it all.
It is intriguing to recall that the Teacher at
this point
was not the center of attention. He was a mere groupie lost in a large
crowd. He was a follower.
After His baptism, He camped out with John and
His company for several weeks. He kept a low profile. John's band
wanted no one to outshine their guru. Acting otherwise might be
perilous to Jesus' health.
Shortly thereafter, He began His prayer and
fasting on the Mountain of the Forty Days. There His message came
sharply into focus. It would be entirely different from that of the
Baptist. When His retreat was done, He returned to bivouac with John
and his people at the Jordan River for a time.
He had discovered what was wanting in the
teaching of His cousin. It lacked tenderness. John preached God's anger
but kept mum about God's love. The Baptist's God had no understanding
about their daily problems. He had spent too much time in the desert.
Their headaches could be a recession or a bank taking their
home or a runaway teen daughter, etc.
The Teacher rolled up His damp bedmat and quit
John's
riverside camp. They would never meet again, but they would
never forget each other. The Master would recycle material from His
cousin's sermons. And John in prison would attempt without success to
renew their cquaintance.
The Nazarene returned to His own country and
opened His
preaching ministry. His modus operandi was clear. His cousin
shouted at people till his face turned red and the veins stood out in
his neck. He admonished them in rough language, "You brood of vipers,
who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Jesus, on the other
hand, would say softly to the walking wounded around Him, "Come unto me
all you who are weary and are burdened and I will refresh you." He
realized "a hurting person needs a helping hand, not an accusing
finger."
Whose vision of God is yours? Is it the God of
John full of anger? Or does it belong to the Teacher? His is a God
anxious to forgive our sins and faults when we get down on our knees
and ask for forgiveness in the confessional. The monk says the best
eraser in the world is confession to God.
The answer to these questions is important.
But it matters not merely to ourselves but also to those around us. We
project our vision of God on other people but especially on children.
Inflict an incorrect vision of God on them and it will stay with them
until they stop breathing.
Run your vision of God through your personal
computer. If it is that of an angry God, bury it immediately. Pick up a
gayly wrapped vision of God for yourself as a gift. This Christmas stop
giving yourself a treatment and give yourself a treat.
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http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
3 Advent
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Called To Be Apostles and Witnesses
"There was a man named John, sent by God to give testimony to the
Light." The first words of today's gospel tell us everything we
need to know about John the Baptist. He was sent to give
testimony. He was sent. The word in the original Greek is
apostolein, apostle. To give testimony, the word in the original
Greek is marturios, martyr. John the Baptist is an apostle and a
martyr. Actually, John was the first apostle. He was the
first one sent to proclaim the presence of the Christ. He was
also the first Christian martyr. John was the first one to give
testimony to the truth of Christ among us. He realized that
Divine Truth had entered the world as a human being. This was no
time to hedge on the truth. John would rather die than turn from the
truth. And he did die, a martyr to Truth.
Like John the Baptist we also have been called to be apostles and
witnesses. We have been entrusted with a mission from God.
We are created for a purpose. We were given God's life at baptism
so we can share his life with others. We are his witnesses.
We are called to make the presence of Christ a reality in our worlds by
giving witness to his presence in our own lives.
The
world needs our witness to Christ so badly. Look how evident that
is right now, just eleven days before Christmas. Some claim that
Christ does not exist, or that if he exists he has lost his impact upon
the world. With this as the basis of their lives, they condemn
themselves to a life of frustration. Because they reject Christ,
they reject his cross and find themselves incapable of putting
sacrifice for others before their own selfishness. The cross of the
Lord is our salvation. It saves us from evil. It saves us
from selfishness. It saves us from ourselves.
It
is politically correct to demand that all mention of Jesus be taken out
of Christmas. It’s very name is to be changed to “Winter
Holidays”. Here’s a secret that I don’t want you to tell the
politically correct: the word holiday come from the union of two words
holy and day. Holy Days were always days off from work.
Sadly, at the heart of those who oppose a religious significance to
Christmas is their desire to transform the celebration of Christ's
presence among us to the exact opposite of the whole reason why God
sent his Son. They reject Christ and contort Christmas into a
celebration of materialism. Sadly for so many people in our
country, their Christmas models their lives: shallow, empty,
meaningless.
The
world that has rejected Jesus Christ needs witnesses to His
Presence. The world needs new John the Baptists to point to
Jesus. We are called to be these witnesses. We are called
to stand up before friends, families, working companions, or maybe just
that idle acquaintance on an airplane, and say, with our lives more
than our words, "For me, the Life of Christ is more important
than anything the world can offer." And if this is a reality, at
the core of our being, the Holy Spirit that is within us will convince
others of the truth of our witness.
We
are called to wear a cross, not just around our necks but imprinted
upon our very being. We are called to sacrificial lives. We
are called to sacrificial love. We recognize the presence of
Christ in our families, among our immediate society, and throughout the
world. We are called to reverence God in every action of our
lives because our commitment to Christ in the whole reason for our
lives.
The
very world that has rejected Jesus craves his presence. People complain
about a world in darkness. They fill bookshelves with self help
books and books telling them where to find meaning in life. They
search for light everywhere except the most obvious place. They
overlook the presence of Christ among them and even within them.
This is where we come in. We have been sent by God. We are
the new apostles. We have been called, chosen, to lead people out
of the cave of darkness into the Light of the Lord.
We
have been called to be witnesses. We are the new witnesses, and
in many ways, the new martyrs. We give testimony to the Truth of the
Lord even if this testimony takes a personal toll on us in our homes,
at our workplace or in our neighborhoods. We are the new John the
Baptists, apostles and witnesses. We have a responsibility to the world
around us to reflect the presence of Christ. Others need to find
Jesus. Others need the testimony of those who are sent by God.
We,
apostles and witnesses, the new Baptists, will best prepare for
Christmas if we spend time determining how we can better be faithful to
our mission of reflecting God's presence in the world.
“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” The message of
this Third Sunday of Advent is simple: Our lives must lead others to
rejoice in the Light.
“There was a man sent by God to give testimony to the Light.” May
we have the courage to continue the work of John the Baptist.
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http://stmaryvalleybloom.org/
* available in Spanish - see
Spanish homilies
3 Advent
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Joy
is a Decision
(December 11, 2011)
Bottom line: Sadness is easy. Joy is a decision. St. Paul tells us we
will find joy by praying without ceasing, giving thanks in all
circumstance and refraining from every kind of evil. Rejoice always.
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent - also known as Gaudete Sunday.
Gaudete is a Latin word meaning "rejoice." To illustrate this theme I
would like to begin with a humorous story: A famous preacher was trying
to teach his students to make their facial expressions harmonize with
what they are speaking about. "When you speak of heaven," he said, "let
you face light up, let it be irradiated with a heavenly gleam, let your
eyes shine with reflected glory. But when you speak of Hell – well,
then, your ordinary face will do."
We smile at this story because we all know it is easy to put on a long
face. We have no trouble seeing on the negative.
I heard about a priest who visited a wealthy member of his parish. The
man had a lovely home with a landscaped yard. The priest commented on
beautiful it all was and how happy he must be. "Yes," said the man, but
with a sad face he added, "look at those bushes. I pay good money to
have them tended and that's what I get!"
Cynicism is the default position. On the other hand, joy can surprise
us.
The same priest who visited that wealthy parishioner later served in a
Latin American country. While visiting a rural community, a man asked
him to come to his home. It was an adobe hut, but with a broad smile
the man said, "Father, we have saved for a year to get this tin roof.
Will you bless it for us?"
Joy surprises us. It shows up in unexpected places. It goes against the
tide. Joy involves our whole being - which includes our ability to
choose.
St. Paul says, "Rejoice always!" It's not a suggestion, like "cheer up,
" or "look on the sunny side." It is, rather, a command, "Rejoice." Not
only when things are going well. Not just when I am getting my way -
but always. "Rejoice always." St. Paul can command joy because joy
requires a conscious choice.
Now, I admit that this command is not an easy one for me. Like most
people I can give in to sadness and depression. I am not talking about
clinical depression which - thanks be to God - may be treated with
medicines. I am talking about a kind of sadness that can quickly
overtake us. Ninety-nine things might be going well, but we focus on
the one thing going badly.
St. Paul does not tell us to wait until we have all our ducks in a row.
He says, "Rejoice always." Fortunately, St. Paul explains how to do it.
The first thing he says is to pray. When things go wrong, I tend to
throw up my arms and get discouraged. Paul says, "Pray without
ceasing." Even when things fall apart - especially when they fall apart.
So pray without ceasing. The second step to joy is gratitude. Paul
says, "in all circumstances give thanks." Did St. Paul give thanks when
his own people insulted him and physically attacked him? Did he give
thanks when his boat capsized and he found himself drifting on a cold
sea? Did he give thanks when a snake bit him? Maybe not immediately,
but by prayer he saw God's hand at work. And he gave thanks.
Paul then adds something that seems obvious: "Refrain from every kind
of evil." If you are involved in a sinful activity, you will not be
happy. You will not be able to rejoice. For that reason we need to hear
John the Baptist: "Make straight the way of the Lord." This Advent I
encourage to make an examination of conscience – take a year-end
inventory on your life. Then make a good confession. Confession can
lighten one's conscience and a clear conscience leads to joy.
To sum up: Sadness is easy. Joy is a decision. St. Paul tells us we
will find joy by praying without ceasing, giving thanks in all
circumstance and refraining from every kind of evil. Rejoice always.
Amen.
**********
General Intercessions for the Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle B (from
Priests for Life)
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http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
3 Advent
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December 11th, 2011 A.D.
Third Sunday in Advent John 1/6-8; 19-28
Who are you?
And in whose name do you speak?
Background:
The background material from the first two Sundays of Advent is
relevant here. Again the early Christians are casting John the Baptist
as a precursor of Jesus, perhaps inaccurate history but useful pedagogy
because it suggests that we too have a Baptist-like role. At another
level, the Baptist had a religious insight not unlike that of Jesus,
the notion of the kingdom of God, as described poetically in the psalms
and the prophecies was becoming clearer and clearer in the minds of
Jewish teachers (and there were parallel developments in other
religious traditions at that time).
The Baptist saw the kingdom as apocalyptic and thus prepared for the
appearance of Jesus’s more highly developed vision. Father Bruce
Chilton (and Anglican scholar) has written well about the kingdom,
especially in his book: “Pure Kingdom: Jesus Vision of God” (Erdmans).
Story:
Once upon a time there was a politician who was running in a very
close election against a very clever campaigner. He had a good message
and an exciting platform, but he was not well known. Thus he had to
make a lot of speeches around the district, go to many meetings, attend
tea parties, and receptions, and cocktail parties, and church
gatherings, and touch every possible base in the district. It was still
an uphill battle. A good friend of his was his advance man, the fellow
who made the arrangements for all the events and speeches and logistics
for the campaign.
He was not a very good advance man; rather he was unreliable and
pompous and, worst of all, disorganized. The other people in the
campaign hated him, but the candidate stuck with his friend. As the
election drew near the polls showed the candidate losing ground. The
advance man knew they were going to lose, so he gave up altogether.
The campaign self-destructed in the last week. Yet the candidate
lost by only one half of one percent of the votes. All the media people
said that if the campaign had been better organized, the voters would
have got to know the candidate better and he would have won in a
walk. We’re supposed to be advance persons for Jesus. Sometimes
you wonder why he doesn’t fire us.
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http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/sunday_homily
3 Advent
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Third Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 11, 2011
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Cycle B
Gospel Summary
The gospel passage tells us about a man named John who was sent by God
to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. This is
the way the testimony happened. Religious leaders from Jerusalem came
to find out who he was. John tells them that he is not the Christ, nor
Elijah, nor the Prophet. He does say: "I am the voice of one crying out
in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord . . ." Then John is
asked: "Why do you baptize . . . ?" He answers: "I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is
coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
Life Implications
The life implication of this gospel passage is ultimate in its
significance: whether or not we recognize God's coming among us in
Jesus Christ. The passage is from the prologue of John's gospel
(1:1-34) in which are contained the essential doctrinal truths about
Jesus. It is better to read the entire prologue for oneself than to
read a summary here. What is essential to note is that in the prologue
we have the essential truths about Jesus. Only then does John begin his
gospel narrative. Jesus himself now appears on the scene, and
personally addresses two men who had heard about him and were following
him. Jesus asks: "What are you looking for?" They reply: "Where do you
dwell?" Jesus says to them: "Come, and you will see."
We, the readers of the gospel, already know from the prologue that
Jesus, Son of God and the Word, has dwelt with God and was God "in the
beginning." John then in the gospel narrative proceeds to tell us how
various people came to recognize the divine reality of Jesus through
the gift of faith. Tragically, however, we learn that others, with
hardened hearts, failed to recognize him, thus remaining blind in
darkness. The gospel tells us about the miracles or signs which
occasioned both the recognition and the rejection of Jesus.
At the conclusion of his gospel, John tells us that Jesus did many
other signs which he did not write about. But, he adds, these signs are
written "that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of
God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name (Jn
20:30-31).
The life implication for us is the same as it was for the people who
heard about Jesus during his historical life. How do we cross that
infinite space between blindness and sight, between hearing about Jesus
and recognizing him as the divine person who desires to dwell in us?
(Read Jn 14-17.) As in John's gospel, it is through miracles or signs
that the divine presence is revealed. For some, John's gospel can
become a sign which occasions the recognition of Jesus as living Lord.
For others, it may be reading the words of a saint, receiving an act of
kindness, seeing a person in need, experiencing an odd coincidence,
seeing the beauty of art, music, or nature. Even a tragic event in
one's life can become a miracle or sign which leads to the recognition
of the divine presence.
Advent is a special time for open-hearted prayer of hope for the gift
of recognizing God's coming among us. If today you should hear his
voice, harden not your heart. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
Campion P. Gavaler
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http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
3 Advent
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Third
Sunday
Isaiah 61, 1-2,.10-11; Luke 1:46-54;
1 Thes 5, 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28
"Gaudete in Domino semper. Iterum dico, gaudete!" Int., Dom. III
"John the Baptist is 'more than a prophet.' In him, the Holy Spirit
concludes his speaking through the prophets. John completes the cycle
of prophets begun by Elijah. He proclaims the imminence of the
consolation of Israel; he is the 'voice' of the Consoler who is coming.
As the Spirit of truth will also do, John 'came to bear witness to the
light.' In John's sight, the Spirit thus brings to completion the
careful search of the prophets and fulfills the longing of the angels.
'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have borne witness
that this is the Son of God. . . . Behold, the Lamb of God.' " (CCC 719)
" 'Christ is the light of humanity; and it is, accordingly, the
heart-felt desire of this sacred Council, being gathered together in
the Holy Spirit, that, by proclaiming his Gospel to every creature, it
may bring to all men that light of Christ which shines out visibly from
the Church.' These words open the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church. By choosing this starting point, the
Council demonstrates that the article of faith about the Church depends
entirely on the articles concerning Christ Jesus. The Church has no
other light than Christ's; according to a favorite image of the Church
Fathers, the Church is like the moon, all its light reflected from the
sun." (CCC 748)
A mere voice announces the imminent appearance of the Word Himself.
The last hours of darkness give way to the light of dawn.
The old gives way to the new; the prophet prepares the way for the One
prophesied.
The sign of the water of repentance is fulfilled in the reality of the
fires of love in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
God, our Joy, will be truly born and truly live among us. Rejoice!
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we
"meet Christ in the liturgy", Father Cusick
(Publish with permission.) http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/
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http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
3 Advent
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Third Sunday of Advent
We have in today’s Gospel an interesting interrogation. The priests and
Levites came out from Jerusalem to find out who this John the Baptist
was, and whether he was the Messiah.
And it is probably a quite accurate description of the events that day,
because after all that other John, St John the Evangelist, who began
life as a close disciple of John the Baptist must surely have been
there; hence all the detail about the interrogation. A few verses
further on it is mentioned that our Evangelist was with John the
Baptist the following day when he pointed out Jesus to him and his
companion Andrew in those lovely words we use each day in the mass:
Behold the Lamb of God.
If you read the text very carefully you will also realise that Jesus
himself must have been actually present when John the Baptist was
cross-examined by the Levites. Why else would John the Baptist say:
‘There stands among you, unknown to you, the one who is coming after
me’? I think he was having a big joke at their expense.
It is a small but quite interesting detail. It makes the priests and
Levites out to be a bit on the slow side, them questioning John asking
him if he was the Messiah when the real Messiah was standing right next
to them. Who says there is no humour in the Gospels?
The priests and Levites ask John three questions: Are you the Christ?’
‘Are you Elijah?’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ Then they ask a fourth: ‘If
you are not the Christ, or Elijah or the Prophet then why are you
baptising?’
John answered the first three questions quite honestly by saying no to
them all. The first and the last were really the same question since
the Christ and the Prophet were words used interchangeably for the
Messiah.
But John, if you think about it, wouldn’t have been very far wrong if
he had said he was Elijah. Elijah was supposed to return as an
immediate precursor to the Messiah. And actually in Matthew’s Gospel,
Jesus after coming down from the Mount of the Transfiguration referred
to John the Baptist as Elijah.
After seeing the vision of Moses and Elijah on either side of Jesus
when he was Transfigured, Peter, James and John asked, ‘We know that
you are the Messiah, but how is it that Elijah did not come to announce
your coming?’ Jesus replied, clearly referring to John the Baptist,
‘Elijah has come already.’ (Mt 17:12)
The fourth question is also worth some reflection, ‘Why then are you
baptising?’ John, of course, does not directly answer but makes a
declaration that the Messiah is already here and as we have seen he
says with heavy irony, ‘he is standing among you.’ Those proud priests
go away unsatisfied and with hatred in their hearts, confirmed in their
ignorance and determined that they would punish John for his impudence.
We too face such questions. We too are asked who we are and what we are
doing. Some of our questioners are just as hard in their hearts as
John’s inquisitors. But hopefully some of our interrogators do ask
their questions with a real desire to know the answers. Some of them
surely even question us with a yearning in their hearts and they
deserve to know the answers and it is our duty to guide them in the
right way.
But no one will ask you anything like this unless they actually see you
being a Christian; actually carrying out your Christian duties;
actually standing out from the crowd for the sake of the Gospel.
It might be that they ask you because you have been brave enough to
wear a simple cross in your buttonhole; or because you refused to take
part in some minor scam at work; or because you helped someone in need
when others went hurrying by on the other side.
But how to deal with these questions? How to answer them without making
a fool of yourself? It might sound simplistic but let me suggest that
one of the best ways to deal with such questions is first to answer the
questions for yourself.
If you know exactly why it is that you sit here on a Sunday then it
won’t be too difficult to answer those other people. Take a little time
out in these next few days to make this sort of self-examination; it
will repay you no end.
Not only will it help you when others put you unexpectedly on the spot,
but it will give you an inner confidence and certainty which will make
you feel better in yourself.
But you could also go one step further and start to talk to fellow
Catholics about your faith. Ask each other about your motives and
priorities in life and where Jesus fits in. Perhaps we Catholics aren’t
too good at this bit.
For many years we weren’t encouraged to do that sort of thing, we were
supposed to sit back and accept what we were told by those in
authority. But this sort of ecclesiastical put-down doesn’t have a
place in today’s world.
We have moved on and the Church has moved on and everyone realises that
such questioning is good. After all, it gives the Holy Spirit room to
work. It leads to a deepening of faith and an increased trust in the
teaching of the Church. Maybe we need to respond to this new reality by
opening our mouths a little to share our faith with each other.
How frequently you find a perfectly good Catholic family who all
believe the same things and who all pray to the same God and yet never
exchange a word about this most important aspect of their lives.
Think of the power of good that could be done; think of how they could
strengthen each other just by sharing a few words with each other about
their common faith! Think of the support they could give to each other,
think of the doubts and uncertainties that could be so easily resolved!
Another thing to keep in mind is what John the Baptist says: Jesus
stands among us. He stands among us just as he stood unrecognised among
those priests and Levites. He is there as a hidden presence. Not
threatening, not judging, not spying on us or interfering; but just
there –cool, calm, patient, content to let things take their course. He
stands there beside us every moment of our lives.
Be aware of his hidden presence and you will have no fear when you face
questions. Just realising that he is there by your side in your family
conversations will surely help you to share your faith with each other
and help you to find a common meaning and purpose in your life.
Knowing Jesus is close to us strengthens us in unity and bolsters our
faith and gives us the courage to be fearless witnesses to his name.
Don’t forget who it really is that wants you to clam up. Don’t forget
who wants you to feel awkward and clumsy when it comes to matters of
religion. Don’t forget that there is really only one creature who wants
you to hesitate and stumble in the face of your questioners.
Yes, the evil one is quite happy to exploit your reluctance. He wants
to strike you dumb and fill your mind with confusion and make you shy
and bashful about matters of faith and then somehow to make it seem
that it’s your own fault. What a trickster!
Don’t give in to him, much rather take heart from the words of Paul and
let it be our prayer for each other today, ‘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’ who is
Lord for ever and ever. Amen.
Copyright © ctk-thornbury.org.uk 2011
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