December 11, 2022 - Third Sunday of Advent

REJOICE! This is Gaudete (Latin for “rejoice”) Sunday! We’re rejoicing because on this the 3rd Sunday of Advent we are getting very near to Christ’s coming, near to Christ being born anew in some way in us this Christmas. The Word of God today cautions us as to how to prepare for this coming because our tendency is to go about it the wrong way. There is just so much to do isn’t there---decorations to put up, gifts to buy and wrap, cards to send out, baking the cookies, cleaning the house for company, planning and packing for travel, and so on. Our natural tendency is to pick up the pace, put the pedal to the metal to get everything done. If we’re not careful we can find ourselves doing any and everything but rejoicing, and then we may miss the way Christ is coming. In our first reading Isaiah poetically paints a beautiful scene of peace and healing where the barren, dry desert comes to full bloom with abundant fragrant flowers and joyful song! Then the Letter of James cautions us to be PATIENT with what we’re doing. In a sense, we’re being invited on our journey to Christmas to stop for a while at a beautiful overlook, rest a bit, and take in the spectacular view that we might be refreshed in the midst of so much to do. In other words, take some down time just to be. Perhaps only then can we recognize and rejoice at what God will be doing anew in us this Christmas! Fr. John Mark Ettensohn, OMI (Homily given by Fr. Jack Lau, OMI)