Rejoice always for the Lord is near. We join with Saint John the Baptist in his great anticipation for the news that would await his ears. He had spent his whole life in preparing the way for the one who would come after him. Finally the news of the Messiah had arrived and he was given reason to rejoice. Throughout this great season of Advent we to have waited with great anticipation for the coming of the Word made flesh. During this time of anticipation we have felt the need to do away with the things present in our life that hold us back from our relationship with Christ. On this third Sunday of Advent, also known as Guadate Sunday, we begin to rejoice because we have come to the same understanding that Saint John the Baptist understood. We rejoice because we know that the Lord will be coming soon. With this understanding Guadate Sunday fills our senses with many reminders of this reality: rose colored vestments, the tone of the music changes, and even a small amount of flowers are allowed to decorate the Church.
As we begin to rejoice with Saint John the Baptist and his disciples we must be reminded of our need to remain patient and to make our hearts firm. For the first two weeks of Advent we were surrounded by purple colored vestments (the color of penance), music that is scaled back inside of its tone, and simple Church decorations. With this Sunday we begin to move closer to the great light that shines forth on Christmas morning. On that day we will join joyfully with all the angels of Heaven once again in singing "Glory to God in the highest." As we move along from the darkness into the light may we be reminded of our own need to cast away sin. If we truly desire to rejoice joyfully at the birth of the Messiah we must make sure that our life is in proper order. If we latch onto our sin we will not be prepared to properly join ourselves to the great celebration of Christmas. We instead will be left in the darkness of night with no room found inside of the inn of our hearts. May we instead remain patient and make our hearts firm that room may be found within this inn.
As we enter into our Gospel we find that Christ leaves three questions for the disciples of John to reflect upon. What did you come to see? "A reed swayed by the wind? Someone dressed in fine clothing? To see a prophet?" During this season of Advent we should apply these same three questions to our own life. If we truly desire to flock towards the manger of Christ we should reflect upon these questions ourselves and prevail ourselves humbly to their meaning.
Has our life become equal to a reed that has been swayed by the wind? A reed of course is a long grass-like plant that can be found in wet places. Whenever a gust of wind comes along it is able to be blown about freely. This same scenario plays out inside of our own life concerning sin. We easily allow ourselves to be blown about like a reed swayed by the wind. Instead of realizing our need to fight against our temptations it is much easier to give into temptation and to run away from Christ who should be our firm foundation. The season of Advent is not about being swayed by the wind, but instead is a time to be strengthened by virtue.
Instead of allowing ourselves to be humbled do we instead expect someone dressed in fine clothing? Fine clothing, here, represents the pride of our own hearts. Even from the moment of His birth, Christ, took on a great since of humility. From within the manger he was surrounded not by riches, but by animals. When we run away from the poverty of humility we accept the richness of pride. All of us here should be able to acknowledge the reality that we are sinful and in need of the Lord's help. Instead of acknowledging this reality we cloth our minds with the pride that our sin is not really sinful or even that we are so holy that we don't need to prevail ourselves to the sacrament of confession. Instead of exalting ourselves in such a manner we should use this season of Advent to lower ourselves to Christ and His mercy. In Confession we will truly be able to encounter humility and strip away the fine clothing of our pride.
Instead in this season of Advent has it been our hope to see a prophet? If this has been our hope we will realize the great weight of our sin and be moved to ask for forgiveness. On this Guadate Sunday we rejoice as we move closer to the Nativity of Christ. We can only rejoice when we strip away all that is keeping us enslaved, because in doing so we will truly be able to behold the Messiah who will come. This Wednesday our parish community will have the perfect opportunity for all of us to truly desire to see a prophet through the stripping away of our sin. This Wednesday will be our parish penance service where a total of nine priests will be present to hear confessions and to absolve us of our sins. May we no longer allow ourselves to be equal to a reed swayed by the wind, but instead may we be willing to turn away from temptation and to be strengthened by Christ. May we not expect to find someone dressed in fine clothing, but instead realize our need to humble ourselves to Christ's infinite mercy. This penance service is the perfect way to truly be able to see a prophet and to make room in the inn of our hearts for him to dwell with us always.
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