Posted by The WORD in other words (2016) by Fr Antonio Pernia SVD – Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay
3rd Sunday of Advent – C
The third Sunday of Advent has traditionally been called “Gaudete Sunday”. “Gaudete” is Latin for “Rejoice”, and this word appears several times in today’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah. The “rejoicing” is due to the fact that, as all three readings indicate, the first signs of the coming of the one awaited can already be seen, and therefore the time of waiting is now coming to an end.
The time of waiting can indeed seem interminable if there are no visible signs of the arrival of the thing or person awaited. Indeed, John the Baptist in prison had begun to have doubts. Has his time of waiting come to an end, or should he still wait some more? How long was he still going to wait? Was Jesus the awaited Messiah or should he still wait for someone else?
Jesus tells John’s disciples that John should see in his words and deeds the signs of the coming of the Messiah. Echoing Is 35:4-6 (the first reading) and 61:1, Jesus tells John’s disciples: ”Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”
Like John, people today can also feel that our waiting for God’s Kingdom of justice, peace and love has become too long. If they do not see signs of its coming, they can grow weary in their waiting and give up hope. But, indeed, signs of God’s Kingdom are not lacking in today’s world. For God’s Kingdom is present wherever workers receive a just and living wage; wherever farmers acquire a piece of land they can call their own; wherever squatters receive decent and humane housing; wherever the rights of the tribal communities are respected; and above all, wherever men and women attain a measure of human dignity required to become children of the Father. The signs of God’s Kingdom may be shrouded in lowliness and in their apparent non-religious character. That is why, there is need for prophets to point these signs out to people.
Like John, present-day disciples of Jesus are called to be prophets in our day, that is, called to discern and point out the signs of God’s Kingdom, and, above all, called to BE signs of God’s Kingdom through works of justice and peace. Christmas, the feast of the birth of him who is God’s Kingdom in person, is a time to renew our response to this call.
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