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Joy and Patience in vigilant expectation
III Sunday of Advent Year A - 16.12.2007
Isaiah 35:1-6.8-10 Psalm 145 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11
Reflections A real doubt, more than understandable, distresses John the Baptist (Gospel) in his dark and lonely prison. The harsh preacher of firing words (see the Gospel of last Sunday) has his moments of uncertainty. “Are you… or have we got to wait for someone else?” (v. 3). Which is the true identity of Jesus, such a mysterious and fascinating fellow, but so disconcerting? John is perhaps perturbed concerning this fellow Jesus who is too concerned about the poor and the least, who does not upset the social system, does not condemn or reject anyone, does not destroy sinners, welcomes everyone, goes to look for and restores hope to the least ones… What type of Messiah is this, if he is the real one? John is an example for us with his undaunted and passionate search for God and the Messiah; he is a model for the believer: it is not bad to encounter difficulties in our faith, to have doubts, not to understand the way God acts or about the meaning of life… The Baptist teaches not to imprison ourselves within preconceived ideas; he is open to confrontation: he does not reject the Messiah just for the fact that he does not understand him or that he does not fit into his vision, instead he searches him out to understand him better…
Jesus does not give John’s disciples theoretical answers: he refers them back to his deeds and invites them to learn how to read the signs. The “works of Christ” (v. 2) reveal His identity: the deeds speak for themselves, they tell and announce before, and often better than, spoken words. Jesus points to six clearly miraculous deeds performed on behalf of the blind, lame, lepers, deaf, dead and poor people (v. 4-5). They are signs which speak of the power and mercy of God, all actions which refer to life giving deeds. There is equal access to God for all, no one is excluded. There is no condemnation for anyone, but mercy for all. Even for the most miserable and desperate man there is a good news. To everyone, whatever his situation, one can say: “There is salvation also for you!”
Before publicly and highly praising John, his cousin and friend, by saying that he was the greatest among all those “born of women” (v. 7-11), Jesus delicately invites him to review his attitudes by referring a beatitude to him: “Happy the man who does not loose faith in me!” (v. 6). Such a blessing was true at that time and it is true also now: even today the attention to and the care for the least and the needy are signs which by themselves announce, even before speaking, that there is where we find the Kingdom of God. All along, the works done in the name and for the love of God are doing mission, evangelising, revealing God’s face which is one of love. A mission that is not accompanied by works of mercy, development, human promotion, defence of people’s rights and protection of creation would not be the mission of God or of the Church. They are not works of proselytism for attracting people but answers to the needs of the most weak of all, answers given gratuitously and inspired by love. In God’s name.
The overall meaning of God’s message on this Sunday is that no one is excluded from the messianic joy: not the handicapped in the body and even less the poor, who are the first people to whom the Gospel of life is addressed. In times of terrible destruction, deportation, ruins and death, the courageous prophet (I reading) invites us to rejoice and hope. If he were not speaking in God’s name, he would be deluded and a fool. But he trusts in God, he knows that he has a project of love and liberation for his people. For this reason we find a twofold way of waiting: the joyful waiting for the Lord who is coming to save us, as the incessant images of singing and blooming of the wasteland convey to us (v. 1-4). The second way is that of waiting with patience, as we are taught by the apostle James (II reading) who points to the example of the hard-working farmer: he waits for the precious fruits of the ground and for the rains but at the same time he is not idle, but rather he tills the field, digs it, sows in it, weeds it, waters it…
The theme of joy is traditionally strong on the III Sunday of Advent, called indeed the “Gaudete” (rejoice), from the entrance song which straight away gives the reason for so much joy: “for the Lord is near”. His presence in the life of each of us and in society does not take space away from man, rather it enlarges it. (*) “One who looks for God always finds joy, while one who looks for joy not always finds God. He who looks for happiness above God and outside God, will find nothing but his vain image, ‘cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all’ (Jer 2:13)” (R. Cantalamessa). The persistent Christian invitation to hope and joy is a rejection of the prophets of doom: in spite of the adverse signs, the believer can see, throughout the thread of history, the signs of the presence and plan of God. And he waits for its fulfilment.
The Words of the Pope (*) “Christianity was not only ‘good news’ - the communication of a hitherto unknown content… That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known; it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life”.
On the footsteps of the Missionaries - 16/12: Bl. Philip Siphong Onphitak (1907-1940), father of a family and catechist, proto-martyr of Thailand. When the parish priest was expelled, he was chosen to guide his community and later he was killed at Mukdahan. - 17/12: St. John de Matha (1154-1213), French priest, founder of the Order of the Trinitarians, for the ransom of slaves. - 18/12: International Day for Migrant Labourers (ONU, 1990). - 21/12: St. Peter Canisio (1521-1597), Jesuit priest, theologian in the Council of Trent, animator of the counterreformation in central Europe, author of a catechism, doctor of the Church. - 21/12: Remembrance of the homily of Fra’ Antonio de Montesinos, Spanish Dominican, on the IV Sunday of Advent (1511) in the church of “La Española” (Dominican Republic), in defence of the rights of the indigenous people. Among other things he said “Aren’t these people, perhaps?” - 22/12: St. Francesca Saverio Cabrini (Lodi 1850-1917 Chicago), founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the care of Migrants, on whose behalf she started many undertakings.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Compiled by Fr. Romeo Ballan, mcci -
Comboni Missionaries (Verona) Translated by Fr. J.M. Troy, mccj Website: www.euntes.net “The Word for Mission” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
