Reflections from the 3rd Week of Advent

READ: Luke 3: 7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him,

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”

Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.        

REFLECT

Gaudete Sunday

Growing up, the third week of Advent was always my favorite.  My reason had nothing to do with the season itself– I just really liked the color pink, so lighting the pink candle on the Advent wreath was very exciting. Even more so, the pink candle meant we were much closer to Christmas, and what little kid doesn’t get thrilled about that?!

I’m sure many of us can relate to my childhood excitement about the pink candle. But do we even know what it means? If it’s just a countdown until Jesus’ birth, why can’t it be purple like all the other candles?

Well let me tell ya…

Since the Advent season is meant to be a time of preparation and penance, the Church gives us Gaudete Sunday (aka ‘pink candle’ Sunday) as the third Sunday of Advent. The word ‘gaudete’ means ‘rejoice’ and comes from Philippians 4:4-  “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!”

So Gaudete Sunday is a mid-Advent, joyful reminder of why we are preparing our hearts through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It reminds us that Jesus Christ is very near, and He is coming in full-force as a tiny little human baby – which is what we truly celebrate at Christmas. The color pink lightens the penitential purple mood. It reminds us of how faithful our God is and encourages us not give up hope in preparing our hearts for celebrating His Son’s birth. 

John’s Method of Rejoicing 

So with all that in mind, how perfect is Sunday’s Gospel for this week’s rejoicing?!

Okay, so maybe the gist of it sounds a little harsh at first- St. John the Baptist wasn’t exactly known for sugar-coating his preaching. He is telling the crowds to “bear fruit worthy of repentance…  [because] every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” He also tells them to give their excess away, not take extra tax money, and not to lie or threaten people out of greed. Where is the joy in that preaching?!

It is found a few lines later when St. John says, “I baptize with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming.”

Since infancy in his mother’s womb, John was filled with the joy of knowing Christ’s presence (see Luke 1:41-45). When John was born, his father Zechariah proclaimed, “And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways” (Luke 1:76). And in verse 80, we learn, “The child [John] grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.”

John grew up knowing that the purpose of his life was to prepare the way for the Messiah. The One who was promised from the beginning of time to come save all of humankind. The One everyone had the faith to know was coming, even if they didn’t know the details. John’s role was to prepare everyone for this One. And that’s exactly what he is doing in this Gospel.

Rejoice Through Repentence 

St. John lived with the joy-filled end in mind: Heaven. He knew the importance of repenting from sin and turning to God. He knew nothing in this world could satisfy the longing in these people’s hearts for love. He knew Christ was the answer.

But he also knew it required work from the people – they had to choose to turn away from sin; he couldn’t choose it for them.

So when they were intrigued by this baptism of water he was offering, they started asking him what they could do to “bear good fruit.” So, he told them. And it sounded harsh.

But when you dig deeper into the context of this passage, you see that he is telling them these things out of a pure love and joy in his heart and for the goodness of their souls.

RESPOND

We have roughly seven days until we begin the celebration of Christ’s grand arrival– only seven days!!! Eeeeek!

How prepared are you?! And I don’t mean prepared with gifts and food to cook. I mean, how is your heart?! Are you in a state of grace? Are you truly ready in the depths of your soul for YOUR Savior, Jesus Christ, to arrive in this world?

Gaudete Sunday is given to us as a reality check in the midst of the penitential season of Advent, a reminder of how near Jesus Christ!

Don’t despair if you’ve fallen away from your Advent commitments. Don’t let the Evil One convince you that you’ve messed up too far beyond repair.

Let me shout it louder: THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE IS COMING IN SEVEN DAYS BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU AND HE DOESN’T CARE IF YOU’VE MESSED UP!

He longs for you to turn from those sins and to be filled with hope as you look toward his loving face in the manager. He loves you so much that He is coming into this world, knowing His purpose is to die a gruesome, love-filled death for YOU.

Regardless of whether or not you recognize Him in your life or failed your Advent commitments, He’s still there and He still cares. That is where we find the joy, my friends.

Soooo are you ready?

All My Love,

Kaylee