Joyful Reflections on Gaudete Sunday: Advent's Message of Hope
Readings for Mass and Virtual Homily, December 15, 2024, Third Sunday of Advent; Semester Wrap at O'Dowd; Christmas in California; Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Clement
Readings for Mass this Sunday
Zephaniah 3:14-18
Isaiah 12:2-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:10-18
Dear Friends and Family,
This Sunday's readings extend and deepen the theme of joy evident in last week's Scripture passages. And not surprisingly, as the Third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday, that is the Sunday of joy. This is the Sunday when the pink candle is lit in the Advent wreath; the Sunday when, if he so desires, the priest may appear in rose-colored vestments. Pink rose, I should say, or even, really, salmon-colored vestments.
I don't wear same, myself. Not since my first couple of Advents as a priest in Pleasanton where parishioners good-naturedly assured me that "salmon is NOT your color, Father!" Traumatized, I have donned regular Lenten purple every Gaudete Sunday since.
But seriously, and on the subject of Advent's "serious joy," this Sunday is set aside for special consideration of the joys of the season, marking as it does the half-way point (usually, it is beyond the half-way point) of Advent. We are drawing closer to Christmas, closer to the coming of the Light, and for that we celebrate with a special emphasis on joy.
The reading from Zephaniah exhorts Jerusalem (that is, the people of God) to "be glad and exult with all your heart," for the Lord has "removed the judgment against you; he has turned away your enemies" (vss. 14-15 ). In what may be read as a prediction of the Incarnation, the passage asserts the presence of God among the people: "the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you have no further misfortune to fear" (vs. 15). This last verse suggests that it is the New Jerusalem, that is, the Church, to which the prophet refers. This prophecy is not just for the years when Jesus walked the earth, but is for all succeeding ages. The Eucharistic Lord is indeed in our midst, and will be so until the end of time.
In place of an actual psalm this week, we have a passage from Isaiah which can easily be made to read like a psalm. This passage also refers to God's presence among the people, and predicts the coming era of apostolic evangelization: "among the nations make known his deeds...sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth" (vss. 4-5). Joyful proclamation of the "glorious achievement" of God (in the life, death and Resurrection of the God-Man) is a consistent note in the preaching of the apostles. Isaiah foresees the times described in Acts of the Apostles, when the first-century Mediterranean world was electrified by the Good News.
The reading from the Letter to the Philippians resonates with the theme of joy; Paul recommending that we "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (vs. 4). Paul goes on to assure the Philippians that "The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all...the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (vss. 5-6). Exhortations to joy are frequent in the letters of Paul. The Resurrection was, in the first century, a very recent event; more than that, it was an unheard-of event. I think it can be hard for us twenty-first century Christians to really grasp just how astonishing news of the Resurrection was, to first-century believers. It changed the way they thought about life. It filled them with an entirely new hope and the most profound joy.
The preaching of John the Baptist is the subject of today's Gospel passage and while many other things might be said about it, what I want to take note of here is that when the people ask John what they must do to make themselves ready for the Lord, John asks nothing extraordinary of them. He tells those who have extra that they should share with those who are in need. He tells the tax collectors not to cheat anyone. He tells the soldiers not to abuse their position of authority, and to be satisfied with their wages (vss. 10-14).
Basically, John says that the way to "make straight the path of the Lord" is to do our duty. Attend faithfully to those responsibilities which have been entrusted to us. See the good we can do and try to do it. Such efforts are pleasing to God, and are, actually, all that God is asking of us. St. Teresa of Calcutta once said that we can do no great things for God; only small things with great love. This reality, when we reflect on it, might in and of itself be a reason for great joy.
Well, we have finished classes for the autumn semester at the high school. I have no finals next week, as mentioned last e-mail, because my students opted for a final project, which they completed in class this week. I'll be grading that, but otherwise am done with the semester. I am off until January 7. Talk about reasons for joy!
Despite the abundant free time the next several weeks, I am not traveling this winter. Last year, as many of you are aware, I went to London and Paris the week between Christmas and New Year's. That is, I went to London and tried to go to Paris. Flooding in the Thames River tunnels on Saturday, December 30, resulted in 41 canceled trains to Europe, including mine. There was no way to fix it. Try getting a seat on a train to Paris for New Year's Eve, the day before New Year's Eve. I spent my first New Year's in London, as a result, which had definite advantages and some very real joy, to revert to today's principal theme.
I had spent several New Year's (no clue how to make that plural!) in Paris before COVID, and had given real thought to being there this winter, but duty called -- in the need for focus at San Gabriel Media, where we are rolling out the first of several marketing strategies this winter, where I am finishing a new book this winter, and where an assembly-line of responsibilities with regard to our You Tube programming awaits my attention this winter.
I am planning to be on sabbatical the entire second half of 2025, and though the time off is, again, largely to serve our efforts at San Gabriel, with seven months free, I will get back to Paris. Back to Casablanca, too. Meanwhile, this winter, I am hanging here in the Bay Area, "taking care of business" as the song says.
Finally, it is Thursday evening, December 12, as I am getting this baby wrapped -- the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Though I was only able to attend the huge Mass and reception this evening, we have been celebrating in the parish all day. Our observation of the feast started with a Rosary at 430 this morning, and has included Mananitas, a Mass at dawn, Masses at eight AM and five PM, and devotions at several points during the day.
I have loved our Guadalupe celebrations here at St. Clement since December, 2015, my first winter here. The celebrations actually start two days before -- with evening Masses on the tenth and the eleventh -- and the church looks almost like a shrine to Our Lady, this week. The flowers alone are breath-taking.
Our new pastor, Father Jesus Hernandez, gave the homily this evening and I was impressed. He weaves deep faith with history, culture and even philosophy, and his preaching style is very relaxed and interactive. Unlike me, Jesus is not in need of the ambo; he steps down from the altar and talks to the people directly, asks them questions, engages in exchanges of faith. He is soft-spoken but direct and his pastoral style is gentle and affirming. I feel deeply blessed personally, to have such a brother here in the house with me, and I am really pleased for the parish, to have such a disciple as our leader. I look forward to working with him for years to come. Just one more reason for Advent's serious joy.
That's all he wrote for this one! Hope your Advent is progressing with grace, with peace, with joy.
Take good care and God bless.
Fr. Brawn