ADVENT III [B] Is 61:1-2a, 10-11, I Thess 5:16-24, Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

There is a story told about a man from Louisville, Kentucky, who had to travel to St. Louis on business.  This was years ago when Christians kept Sunday as a very special day.  For this man, "keeping the Sabbath," also meant not riding the trains on Sunday.  Thus, after he finished up his business late Saturday night, he had to stay over in St. Louis until the following Monday morning.  On Sunday morning, he left the hotel looking for a place to worship.  The streets were quite deserted, but finally he saw a policeman and asked him for directions to the nearest church. The stranger thanked the policeman for the information and was about to walk off when he turned and asked the policeman: "Why have you recommended that particular church? It looks like a Catholic church.  There must be several churches nearby that you could have recommended."  The policeman smiled and replied: "I'm not a church man myself, but the people who come out of that church are the happiest looking church-people in St. Louis and they claim that they have received Jesus and they are happily taking him to their homes.  I thought that would be the kind of church you would like to attend."  The Scripture for today reminds us that every Sunday in every Christian church must be a Gaudete Sunday or “Rejoice Sunday.”

The third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” because the Mass for today begins with the opening antiphon: “Gaudete in Domino semper” --“Rejoice in the Lord always.” To remind ourselves that we are preparing for the very joyful occasion of the birth of Jesus, we light the rose candle, and the priest may wear rose vestments. The common theme of the day’s Scripture readings is one of joy and encouragement. The readings urge us to make the preparations required from us as we await the rebirth of Jesus in our hearts and lives.  

 The first reading tells us that we should rejoice because the promised Messiah is coming as our Savior to save us by liberating us from our bondages.  In today’s Responsorial Psalm, Mary exclaims:"My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior."  St. Paul, in the second reading, advises us to “rejoice always” by leading a blameless, holy and thankful life guided by the Holy Spirit, because Christ is faithful in his promise that he will come again to reward us.  Today’s Gospel tells us that John the Baptist came as a witness who would testify to the Light, i.e., Jesus, and the coming of Jesus the Light into the world is the cause for our rejoicing because  he removes the darkness of sin from the world.  

John was able to rejoice because he was able to see himself clearly in the Light and was able to give a clear identity of himself to those who came to question him. When they question him John says that he is not the Christ, not Elijah, nor the prophet. Most pointedly, he declares, “I am not”. This is the gospel, which again and again has Jesus say, “I am”. John’s denials, his saying who he is not, is a kind of pointing to who Jesus is. Jesus would say I am the resurrection and the life, the Vine and the branches, good shepherd, the gate to the sheepfold, the Way the truth and the life and so on.

For us perhaps finding out who we are not, will help us to easily find out who we are. There's a story about a woman finding herself alone in an elevator with the famous and very handsome Robert Redford. As the elevator moved up the floors, the woman, like many of us might, found herself uncontrollably staring at the movie star. Finally, in her excitement and nervousness, she blurted out: "Are you the real Robert Redford?" To which Redford responded, "Only when I'm alone."

That story reveals that Robert Redford is not simply another pretty face, but he has grown into a wisdom that must serve him well. All the movie stars are not what they show themselves in the movie. Their real self is when they are alone. For like John the Baptist, he obviously knows who he is not.

The five year old nephew of the bride was chosen to be in charge of carrying the rings down the aisle. At the wedding rehearsal he was unusually unruly. He kept leaping out at people, baring his teeth at and then chasing the flower girls. He growled and snarled as he practiced going down the aisle. He brandished the pillow like a pistol. Finally his mother pulled him aside and demanded to know why he was behaving so badly.

“But Mom,” he explained, “I have to act fierce — I’m the ‘Ring Bear.’”

Like so many of us that little boy misunderstood just what role he was supposed to play. He thought he was called to be big, imposing, fearsome, large and in charge. He thought he was to BE the “star of the show.” He thought the spotlight was his.

But he wasn’t supposed to BE a bear, he was supposed to offer the supportive role of “ring bearer.” But the focus of the wedding ceremony was not on the ring bearer. The reason for the wedding celebration was not him. Like this “ring bear” we sometimes mistake our real role in life and end up playing the role of someone else. During this season of advent, like John the Baptism, we are called to play a subsidiary role for Christ and the Church. Let’s be the voice of Christ as John was, leading people to listen to Christ and his Church.