17/12/2006 - THIRD SUNDAY of ADVENT - Year C
First Reading Zephaniah 3: 14-18 Psalm Isaiah 12: 2-6
Second Reading Philippians 4: 4-7 Gospel Luke 3: 10-18
The holy man is the one who carries with him the life of God, the only Holy
One! And who can that be if not the Only Son of God? This is why Jesus is called
"God's Holy One". In Him, in Jesus, we see holiness; we can almost
touch it and, above all, welcome it because He, Himself, said: "He, who
welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me"! "I am in the Father, you
are in me and I am in you"! Holiness, then, begins in us at the moment
of our Baptism! In that moment, we are welcomed in the life of the love of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! In that moment, we become member of
the Body of Christ, the Church! Through Baptism, we become "holy".
And it is not important whether we understand, or not: this is the gift from
God, even for children, who understand nothing!
We can compare holiness to a medal! Imagine holding one in your hands. Consider
three of its elements: the material, with which it was made, and the two images
on either side. Our holiness is made with material of the love of God, the Father!
It is what we are, because He welcomed us into His Life; He gave us life and
He enriched us with His Holy Spirit! This is what happened in Baptism. And the
two sides? On one side, we can see the reproduction the life and death of Jesus,
the death with which He offered Himself to the Father, as the act of the only
and unrepeatable love. On the other side, we see the Resurrection of the Lord,
the new life which He gives to the one who believes in Him and is one with Him
in dieing to the things of the world; a joyful and precious life, a life from
which renewed strength comes, so that he has the power to meet the challenges
and the crosses, even the persecutions; the life he longs for, and through which
he can express himself with a concrete love towards all!
We continue to prepare in welcoming Jesus, the Messiah promised to those who
have no joy, because they do not know God and are not in communion with their
peers. The lecture of Zephaniah, and the Letter of St. Paul, is an invitation
to joy; better yet, to exultation. What the prophet tells us, today, is later
retold by the Archangel Gabriel, when he turns to greet Mary. It is time to
awaken from all delusion and discouragement because the One who has been promised
is coming. He is nothing less than "the Lord among you…the powerful Saviour"!
The person who realizes that he's in need of salvation can begin to exult with
joy. The Apostle renews the invitation. "Rejoyce in the Lord, always; again
I say, rejoyce!"
How many objections, to this joy! I seem to hear many voices raised in justifying
sadness, the hallow sounding voice, the bleak face: all evil of the world contributes
to sadness. Yet, there is not only evil, in the world, and we cannot continue
to be witness to the evil that grips it. Jesus has come to the world! Our friend
and Saviour, the living Son of David, who frees us the evil of original sin,
continues to come into the world. Even in anguish, we know that there is someone
who whom we can safely turn, and that is why our face becomes friendly, serene
and filled with recognition. In a world filled with darkened and deluded faces,
we are testimony of the presence of the One who comes from heaven to make our
world a place of peace, a kingdom of harmony, and to guide us safely on the
road that takes us to our final kingdom! We are the witnesses of Jesus!
Even John, the Baptist, helps us and reassures us. Above all, he gives concrete
and simple direction to those who are really willing to welcome the One who
is coming; therefore, he reveals the guidelines for His wishes: share generously
the goods of the world with the poor, have respect for each person, be happy
with less. These are the means of the commandment of love, which Jesus makes
perfect with His love for sinners! John introduces Him with joy. He is powerful,
more powerful than he: before Him, the prophet, too, bows most humbly. He uses
his power to baptize us; that is, He immerses us in the Holy Spirit; better
yet, He immerses us in His fire, a fire that purifies, warms and illuminates!
His words will be words of love for the poor of the world, the foundation for
a justice that is stable and eternal. It is He, in fact, that separates the
wheat from the chaff, it is He who distinguishes who is God and who are the
ones who are not worthy of Him. Man's judgement counts for little; human justice,
with its precautions and injustices, will last a short while. Who is not ready
and waiting for such a divine man?
We will increase our desire to meet Him, and not only or as much as to ask for
blessings for His blessings, but because we are ready and willing to be at His
disposal. In so doing, our joy grows, because our life becomes meaningful and
has a value which surpasses the most precious things of the world. We will become
true servants of God!