Homily for 3rd Sunday of Advent - Gaudete

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/121408.shtml

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks.

This is the advice chosen by the Church for us on Gaudete Sunday, or Rejoice Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Advent. It is the advice given by St. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks.

What is proposed for us today, however, is not the joy defined by psychology. It is not the power of positive thinking. It is not pretending there is nothing wrong in the world. It is not looking at life through rose-colored glasses, not even on this joyful Sunday of Advent when we light the pink candle in our wreath.

St. Paul proposes to us a deep joy that belongs to the one who knows that the Lord is near. This is our entrance antiphon for this Sunday every year. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. The Lord is near. A Christian should be one marked by a joy that enables him to pray unceasingly and to give thanks in every circumstance, even in difficult ones.

We all know the circumstances that keep us from being joyful, prayerful and thankful. An unexpected conflict or misunderstanding with a friend can rob us of our joy. A busy schedule with lots of expectations can distract us from prayer. An injustice suffered can make us more resentful than thankful. In all these difficult circumstances, and in countless others, however, our knowledge that the Lord is near is supposed to make a difference. Yes, we are even supposed to be joyful. prayerful and thankful during Finals Week at KU.

John the Baptist was sent from God because it is so easy for us to forget that the Lord is near. John was not the light. He was not the Word. He was not the Messiah. He was only the wake-up call. He is the reminder that we all need that the Lord is much closer than we think. He tells the Pharisees bluntly that they are too full of themselves to recognize that the Messiah is in their midst.

We can easily make the same mistake of the Pharisees. The Pharisees are not joyful, prayerful or thankful because they pridefully see themselves as the most necessary thing, and thus God's closeness to them depends on their ability to find Him. Mary, on the other hand, as we hear in this evening's canticle, is always joyful, prayerful and thankful - her soul magnifies the Lord - her spirit rejoices in God Her Savior - because she humbly considers herself to be the most lowly and unnecessary thing, and thus God's closeness to Her depends on His decision to look upon Her.

This too is the true source of joy, prayer, and thankfulness for each one of us. Not that we have chosen God, but that He has chosen us. Not that we have made more time to search for Him, but that He will never take a break from searching for us. This is the attitude that we are to foster as we grow closer to Christmas. Only the one who sees himself as lowly and unnecessary, someone who is ready to be only the voice like John the Baptist - only this person can be ready for the coming of the Word, like the Virgin Mary was.

In these final days of Advent we are to remember simply how unnecessary we are. Our joy, prayerfulness and thankfulness stem from our humble confidence that even though we are not necessary, and neither is the gift of a Savior, still the One who is necessary sees us, searches for us, knows us, desires what is best for us, and will find us. The Lord's decision to look upon us is the source of our salvation. The Lord's decision to love us and to remain close to us His people, is more important than any decision we can make to look for Him or try to find Him or try to add Him to our lives. John the Baptist tells us that the Lord is near. If this is really true, then there should be no circumstance that can rob us of our joy, our prayerfulness and our thankfulness!