11/12/2005 - 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - year B
First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2; 10-11 Psalm: Luke 1:46-50;
53-54
Second Reading: 1Thessalonians 5:16-24 Gospel: John 1:6-8; 19-28
The Ten Commandments, as they come to us in the Old Testament, could be taken
literally; thereby leaving them open to our opinions and interpretations, which
are guided by our own selfishness. Jesus realized this and that is why He dedicated
some of His teachings in correcting errors in interpretating, and in understanding
fully, in the light of His Spirit, the Holy Spirit which descended upon Him!
In Matthew's Gospel discourse on the mountain, seven times, Jesus says: "But,
I tell you…." (5:20). The Evangelist shows Jesus as He reviews some of
these commandments, letting us see how they cannot be taken literally; but as
a means of understanding which direction the love that the Father gave us, must
take. Jesus becomes Teacher, as He tells us how obeying God will not restrict
us; it will open our mind and heart to practice and increase our best and most
profound energies. In reading the Ten Commandments, we should always keep in
mind that the true interpreter of the Commandments is Jesus, and that, only
in His Spirit, can we interpret them, understand them, and see them. The Commandments
are not cold laws, given in whim by a God who wants to impose His authority
over us; but by a Father who loves us and does not want our life to be on the
road to unhappiness, or do anything that might bring suffering to His other
children.
The First Reading is a prophecy which was fulfilled in Jesus: the Spirit of
the Lord descended upon Him, and He became the gift of God to humanity! He is
a gift, given freely to all, because He announces the love of the Father, He
lets us know it, and He renders us able to be in His presence, to hear what
He confides in us and to answer Him! Jesus is a gift because He frees us from
the slavery within us, created by fear of an unknown God, whom we thought to
be master over us! This internal freedom, which grows in us from listening to
the Good News of Jesus, allows us to live differently, to be attentive to our
brothers' needs, and it makes us willing to love. Therefore, a climate of serenity,
of joy, of peace and faith, that joyful faith which Mary exemplifies with her
faith, which today is repeated in today's Psalm, will flourish in our midst.
Isaiah's prophesy comes from distant centuries; yet, John was inspired to seize
the moment of fulfillment. He cannot speak of this hurriedly because he lives
and behaves only for Him, who is to come! He says only that he is not the One,
as his voice proclaims the presence of Him who is the One! He only manages to
prepare their souls to welcome Him, but it will be He who will fill their hearts
with the Holy Spirit of God! John prepares them to meet Him by being cleansed,
so that those who believe him, will recognize that they are sinners, that they
are distant from God and in need of His salvation; and he helps them to distance
their hearts from those internal attitudes which generate sin.
John prepares us to humbly welcome the "one whom you do not know",
Him, whom no one is worthy of being His servant. John uses an expression which
the Hebrews can understand easily but, for us, is somewhat difficult: "the
One who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandal".
What he means is that he cannot and does wish to take the role of the groom
of the people of Israel, the role of God! It is Jesus who makes the love of
God a reality to His people, and who welcomes, in God's name, the people's love
for Him. It is Jesus the definitive groom, the only One who loves with a true
and fruitful love. By allowing Jesus to love us, we, too, will become children
of God and help our family to grow. The Scriptures often speak of God as the
groom of His people. Now He comes to love them indefinitely. He does this visibly
through Jesus: He shows it by dieing on the Cross.
That is why we continue our walk in this world, vigilantly awaiting the full
expression of Jesus. We live this time of Advent by being subject to Him, desirous
to meet Him and willing to serve Him. Saint Paul suggests some useful and necessary
attitudes, consequence of our love, in responding to the love of Jesus: being
happy, praying often, giving thanks, being careful to choose what is good and
avoiding temptations. The Lord continues to love us and, if He finds us living
this way, He can sanctify us completely; that is, He can fill our life with
the Holy Spirit. Then, we can say, with Jesus: "The Spirit of the Lord
now upon me has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor…"! And, with
Mary, we will repeat: "And my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour!"