Reflection on Today's Readings, 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B, December 13th, 2020
Texts: Is. 61:1-2a.10-11; Ps. Luke 1:46-54; 1Thes. 5:16-24; John 1:6-8.19-28
Today is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, which means joyful Sunday. It signifies The nearness of the coming of our Lord. In today's gospel reading, it is said, "among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie". Our Lord is already with us, the problem is our awareness of his presence; the nearness is dependent on our awareness of him. The more we know him the closer he is to us. We need to continue to seek his face, that we might know him better. Seeking the face of God has always been the drive and joy of all the holy men and women.
Gaudete Sunday places emphasis on the joy of expectation, rather than mere expectation; we are called to rejoice in our Lord's coming. Gaudete Sunday gives us a new insight into the meaning of joy. Joy is the awareness of God's love for us inspite of all the challenges pressing on us. It reminds us that joy can exist in the midst of the ill circumstances of life. Advent is a period we are awaiting a Saviour who will deliver us from ill circumstances pressing on us. Inspite of this ill circumstances, we are called to rejoice. The joy we celebrate today is the joy of knowing that God loves us.
Today's first and second readings invite us to rejoice. The first reading invites us to rejoice in the Lord. We rejoice in the Lord when we take delight in his doings, his works. It is said, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness". Being clothed with the garments of salvation is being beneficiary of God's saving act; it is being saved by God. Being clothed with the robe of rightousness means embracing a righteous life, it is being introduced into a righteous living, following God's instructions and commandments. We are reminded today that our joy should be in righteous living and God's salvation. The joy of some of us lies in material things. We are to reassess, today, the source of our joy. Let us take delight in the Lord's doings.
We are to extend the joy of salvation to others. We extend the joy of salvation to others when we participate in the works of salvation. The works of salvation include bringing good tiding to the afflicted, binding up the broken hearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, and proclaiming the year of the Lord's favour. When we engage in the works of salvation, the Lord God will bring forth righteousness and praise before all nations.
St. Paul, in today's second reading, takes the message of joy further. He says, "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." This means the will of God for us is to be people of joy; we should not allow any circumstances to take away our joy in the Lord. We should always be appreciative to God, knowing that he means well for us and he will not allowed us to be conquered by evil. We are to pray, too, and do so without season. St. Paul also asks us to hold fast to what is good, and abstain from every form of evil. Our joy should be in doing good and abstaining from evil.
Lord our God, open our eyes to know that the true joy is found in you, and help us to find our joy in you. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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