Third Sunday of Advent – Year A
The joy of Advent shines forth with an inspiring message of hope and encouragement in today’s readings, urging us to rejoice and be happy because the Lord is near.
It tells us of our Christian vocation to radiate this joy, however, rejoicing is not normally the hallmark of being a Catholic. A lot of the time we associate the Gospel message of Jesus carrying His Cross and remembering His Passion of pain and suffering. However, what did Jesus say just before His Ascension into Heaven, ‘all these things I have spoken to you, that my joy might be in you, and your joy be complete.’
We were all created for happiness. It is why we spend our lives searching and striving to attain it. Sometimes this happiness seems to escape us as we go searching for it in the wrong places. Our greatest mistake is to look for it in material things, but all the money in the world cannot purchase happiness. Christian joy is something deeper and richer, it comes from an awareness that God is with us and produces a contentment of inner peace that cannot be taken from us. Friendship with God is the source of Christian joy. No trials can drown this joy since it is born of faith. On the first Christmas day when God came down in the flesh, Jesus filled the world with glad tidings of great joy. His life was geared towards God the Father in joy, prayer and thanksgiving. We can be caught up with all our daily problems and fail to reflect upon the joy of that marvellous truth that: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son and whoever believes in him, might not die, but may have eternal life.’ (Jn 3:16)
In the Gospel today, Jesus tells John’s disciples what do you hear and see? ‘The Blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have Good News preached to them.’ John’s Disciples went back rejoicing because Jesus has confirmed that ‘He is the Christ, the one who is to come.’
As we know, charity is so important at this time, as there is no greater proof of love than to give ourselves to others who are in need. Christmas joy cannot be complete unless we show love and charity, especially to those who have nothing to give back to us in return.
The happiest of people are those who are doing the most for others, and the day will arrive when they will be greeted by the Lord with these words: ‘Well done good and faithful servant, come and join in my master’s happiness.’
I would like to end with the words from one of our favourite comedians of the past, Ken Dodd. These words were always sung at the end of his shows, and I feel they are appropriate for us today: “Happiness, Happiness, the greatest gift that I possess, I thank the Lord that I’ve been blessed, with more than my share of happiness.”
Rev. Fr Philip Wrigley's Blog 