Rejoice!




Excerpted from an article by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
3rd Sunday of Advent, Dec. 16, 2018


On the third Sunday of Advent… we celebrate “Gaudete” or “Rejoice!” Sunday. “Shout for joy, daughter of Sion” says Zephaniah.  “Draw water joyfully from the font of salvation,” says Isaiah.  “Rejoice in the Lord always,” says St. Paul.  “Do penance for the judge is coming,” says John the Baptist…

Wait a minute!  What’s that stark, strident saint of the desert doing here, on “Rejoice Sunday”?  His stern call to repentance does not seem to fit.

Believe it or not, John the Baptist is the patron saint of spiritual joy.  After all, he leapt for joy in his mother’s womb at the presence of Jesus and Mary (Luke 1:44).  And it says that he rejoices to hear the bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29-30).

Now this is very interesting.  Crowds were coming to hear John from all over Israel before anyone even heard a peep out of the carpenter from Nazareth.  In fact, John even baptized his cousin.  This launched the Lord’s public ministry, heralding the demise of John’s career…

Most of us would not appreciate the competition… But John actually encouraged his disciples to leave him for Jesus, the Lamb of God. When people came, ready to honor John as the Messiah, he set them straight… to use John’s own example, he was like the best man at a wedding. It certainly is an honor to be chosen as “best man.” But the best man does not get the bride… the best man’s role was to bring the bride to the bridegroom, and then make a tactful exit. And John found joy in this.  “My joy is now full.  He must increase and I must decrease.”

The Baptist was joyful because he was humble… The humble man does not sheepishly look down on himself.  Actually, he does not look at himself at all. He looks away from himself to the Lord.

Humility brings freedom… Freed from the blinding compulsion to dominate, we can recognize the presence of God and …recognize godliness in someone else and rejoice when others notice and honor this person.

But what about John’s stark call to repentance?  How this be Good News? Because repentance is all about humility and humility is all about freedom. And freedom leads to inner peace and joy, joy in the presence of the Bridegroom.



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