Homily for Sunday 16th December 2018
_“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything.” *(Philippians 4:4-6).*_
Today is the third Sunday of Advent, which is also known as Gaudete Sunday or Rejoice Sunday. One word which captures today’s liturgy is Joy. Our readings today not only demand our happiness, but they also outline the reasons why we must be happy. Zephaniah says: “Sing aloud… shout… rejoice and exult with all your heart… (because), the Lord is in your midst, you shall fear no more.” Our Responsorial Psalm says: “Shout and sing for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians says: “Rejoice always… (because)… the Lord is at hand.” And in our Gospel passage, St. Luke concludes that John the Baptist preached “Good News to the people.”
Just before I started preparing this reflection, I did a little survey to find out what exactly makes for happiness and joy this season of Christmas. The responses I got opened my eyes to so many lessons.
_*One: Christmas is a Happy Time because Jesus is Incarnated in Many*_
From the responses I gathered, I discovered that the happiest Christmas most people could remember was during their childhood days. This primarily as a result of the love and care they received in the form of gifts such as new clothes, new shoes or even the very fact that Daddy and Mummy were just there to spend time with them, take them out or go visiting places they had never been before. What makes Christmas really pleasant for the kids is the fact that they receive more than they give and this is only possible because parents go the extra mile to make sacrifices for them. This means that Christmas is a happy time not because it is Jesus’ birthday but because there are people who celebrate it by becoming Jesus through acts of sacrifice and generosity.
The joy of Christmas is God giving away his only son Jesus to save mankind. When we give gifts to others during Christmas or even make out time to be with others regardless of what it costs us, we literally incarnate Jesus. No wonder in today’s Gospel passage, we hear John the Baptist saying: “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here and the way to be happy is to make others happy and we will have a little heaven down here. Don’t just celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, become Jesus by giving your time, your energy and money to others and you will be happy.
_*Two: Sin, Evil and Death are our Real Enemies.*_
When I asked about what was responsible for our capable of stealing our joy during this Christmas season, almost all the responses pointed to death especially that of a loved one. Considering the fact that as St. Paul puts it, the wages of sin is death, we cannot but safely conclude that every time we sin, we bring in death both to ourselves and to all who become victims of our sinful actions. To tax collectors, John the Baptist says “collect no more than is appointed.” To soldiers, he says “rob no one by violence or false accusation, be content with your pay.”
If John the Baptist was here today, I guess he would say something similar to those who create artificial scarcity to hike prices of essential commodities, those who cheat others, those who try to take advantage of the season to indulge in criminal activities as well as those who carry out acts of man’s inhumanity to man. Let’s face the fact, you can never be happy by depriving others of their happiness. All sin is death. Avoid it and you will find true happiness this Christmas.
_*Three: The Magic of Christmas is Contentment.*_
Amongst the things which make people the most, I was particularly surprised to find Christmas decorations, peculiar atmospheric conditions, the grass, the trees and even more sleep. I started wondering how these things which are available all year round become the cause of Christmas happiness. It then dawned on me that Christmas affords us the opportunity to cool off our ever anxious minds thereby giving us a chance to NOTICE the beauty of God’s creation as well as the beauty of life itself. This is exactly the point St. Paul seeks to drive home in today’s second reading when he said: “Have no anxiety about anything… and the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
The air the blows on Christmas day is the same as other days but there is a difference; our minds are not too distracted on this very day to notice the air, the trees, the grass and even the decorations. I discovered that when I asked people about their greatest wish for Christmas, the favourite response was that the joy of Christmas would continue every day. This wish can be realized if only we chose to follow St. Paul’s advice; to constantly free our minds from anxiety and practice contentment by learning to submit our worries to God in prayer while we take out time to notice or admire the beauty of creation around us.
_*Four: No Place Like Home.*_
Almost all the responses I got had the word “family.” Indeed, without family there is no Christmas and family here goes beyond one’s siblings, it includes all those we feel a strong connection with, even childhood friends, distant relations and those with whom we are not in talking terms. The reunion and togetherness Christmas affords is like a medicine for humanity as a whole. The best and indeed the happiest place to be during Christmas is with family or amongst one’s roots. Create time for family bearing in mind that you belong to a special family where God is addressed as “Our Father.” Let social media and technology rest. Go home. Go and spend time with real human beings, mend broken fences, forgive past hurts, create real social connections and happiness will not escape you this Christmas.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of joy to the world this Christmas. Amen.
*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Third Sunday of Advent. Bible Study: Zephaniah 3:14-18, Psalm (Isaiah) 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7 and Luke 3:10-18).
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