3rd Sunday of Advent 2007 (Gaudete Sunday)

[Fr.Paul Weinberger]

Homily by:
Father Paul Weinberger
Saint William the Confessor Catholic Church
Greenville, Texas
3rd Sunday of Advent 2007 (Gaudete Sunday)
December 16, 2007

Take as an example of hardship and patience the Prophets, who spoke in the Name of the Lord.

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

Amen

We do well to keep in mind this last line of the Second Reading from the Apostle St. James, because again for the second Sunday in a row we hear about the figure of St. John the Baptist. Last week we were introduced to him as a figure alone in the desert, wearing clothing made of camel hair, and you can imagine how that would smell when wet and how it would itch continually. It also probably did not serve well in keeping him warm, as the desert is hot during the day and cold at night. He had a diet of grasshoppers and wild honey.

Today we see that St. John is now in prison, which for him is a lateral move, right? He probably had the grasshoppers and wild honey delivered to prison. “Desert” for him was a self-imposed prison and now he is in prison. St. John the Baptist is a penitential figure wherever we see him. As Jesus says, St. John is a prophet, but more than a prophet. The Church presents him to us as the crown of the prophets, joining the Old and New Testaments like a hinge between the two.

Many scripture scholars readily admit that when we hear in the New Testament that Jesus had brothers and sisters, that these words that are used can mean not only siblings but also cousins, extended family, etc. The Blessed Virgin Mary is Jesus’ closest blood relative and then her parents and then St. John the Baptist. Notice how at the end of the Gospel, after Jesus says that St. John is more than a prophet, He said that there is no man born of woman, who is greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the Kingdom is greater than he.

How often is it that you and I fall back on our biological connections? When we are in trouble, we call our folks or some other relative. We fall back on our natural connections because they are very strong, but Jesus says to us that, as strong as His connection is to St. John by nature, that there is a connection that is far superior and that is grace, which builds upon and perfects nature, as the Church teaches. The Blessed Mother and St. John have a direct line to Christ biologically and physiologically but it is as if Jesus just pushes that to the side and holds up for us the Life of Grace. Yet, look how easily we shun that connection, which is more intimate and far more superior than a mere natural connection. To be united to Christ through grace is far superior to the connection of mere nature. A good example of this is seen this Sunday.

Now, you are going to think I am joking, but I am not. Normally the color of penance is purple. The reason this rose colored vestment is used on the 3rd Sunday of Advent or the 4th Sunday of Lent is because our Mother the Church believes that you and I have been so intent on practicing penance and getting ready for the coming of the Lord, that you and I have over done it in this realm of penance, and the way I am so intent on my own comforts, that I am even more intent on God and His will for me. I say it to my shame, but it probably rings familiar to you as well.

“On no! I can’t start my day unless…I can’t possibly go on from here until I have this…I couldn’t possibly draw my day to a close unless I have this or that.”

Just fill in the blanks. This is all about our own desires and comforts.

If we look to the north and west of us in Oklahoma we see some people who are a lot less fortunate than we are. First of all, they live in Oklahoma. And what is worse than living in Oklahoma? Living there with the power out in the middle of an ice storm. That could have happened here. Now, those people have had to struggle with the bitter cold. The bitter cold here gave way to sunshine later in the day today and tomorrow it is supposed to be sixty degrees. So much for the roller coaster of Texas weather. As much as we had to suffer, look at how our days and attitudes were changed by the temperature going down as it is supposed to do in the winter.

As I said, the power was out in parts of Oklahoma and so things didn’t get done, but how many people are going to arrive at Christmas having made no preparations or preparations that haven’t been completed, and are going to claim a power outage? Somehow HE ran out of grace like Santa ran out of presents?

“He ran out of grace; there wasn’t enough. I was getting ready and there just wasn’t enough grace to go around.”

In the Morning Prayer today one of the Antiphons says,

The Lord is coming without delay; He will reveal things kept hidden and show Himself to all mankind, alleluia.

He will reveal things kept hidden… Part of our penance over these four weeks of advent is to receive the Sacrament of Confession; in essence to accuse ourselves, as you have heard me say before; to reveal things to God that are hidden in order to have them taken away by Our Lord in the Sacrament of Confession so that we can make way for the Messiah. The again, there is little interest in the Sacrament of Confession by too many Catholics.

What happens in Confession? If you look at the Prophet Isaiah in the First Reading today and then look at the Gospel, this is what happens in every Confession. 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. Many Catholics won’t life a finger to go to Confession or even insure that their children go to Confession; or pick up the phone, and Heaven forbid, make sure that the grandkids have gone to Confession.

All this making room for Jesus isn’t happening is it? And yet we marvel at the way there was no room for Him at the Inn, the same way there is no room for Jesus during Advent. Why is there an Advent? Advent is all about preparing for His coming, as we sang in the opening hymn. That was not merely filler so that we could get to the Sign of the Cross and begin Mass. This ancient hymn of begging the Lord to come means we have a place prepared for Him.

On the level of grace, it far outstrips the level of me being connected to anyone through mere human generation and bloodlines, if you will. My connection to my immediate family and extended family, as important as it is to me and to you, is nothing when compared to when you and I are connected to Christ through grace. Sin, especially Mortal Sin kills the life of grace in the soul and that is not enough to get us moving toward the Confessional; even just the prospect of Mortal Sin? Mortal Sin is possible so I need to be strengthened against it and see Confession as not merely Christ taking away our sins but also imparting His grace to make us stronger so we can resist sin, especially sin which kills the life of grace within our souls.

The Prophet Isaiah and all the Prophets are ratified in the one, who is the greatest of the Prophets…St. John the Baptist, who did not claim proximity to Christ in the order of nature and then rest on his laurels. No, he went out into the desert, did acts of charity and acts of penance in preparation for the Messiah. He is our example.

Take as an example of hardship and patience the Prophets, who spoke in the Name of the Lord.

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

Amen