Homily: 3rd Sunday of Advent (C)

As a child I was always really excited when I saw the priest wearing rose. It meant that either Christmas was close, or Lent was almost over and I could eat candy again. While that sort of reasoning may seem juvenile, it is actually pretty much what this Sunday is about. In the celebration of Mass prior to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, an opening antiphon was recited by the priest and sometimes sung by the choir as the celebrant processed up the aisle. The antiphon for this Sunday comes from our second reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In the Latin it is: Gaudete in Domino semper. Iterum dico: gaudete! which means: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! That’s why we call this Third Sunday of Advent Gaudete Sunday. 

It may seem strange to us though, that in a penitential season such as Advent, when we are to be turning from sin, converting our hearts and minds to Christ, and seeking forgiveness from God for our failings, it seems strange that the Church wants us to rejoice and be joyful. After all, isn't conversion and penance something that in a sense take the joy out of everything? Unfortunately, that’s what most of us think, whereas in reality, conversion/the turning away from our disordered sinful behavior actually does the complete opposite. Conversion allows us to be more human, to function more as God created us. 

When we consider being happy, or having a good time, it often results in us indulging in things that in themselves are not bad, however, we tend to indulge to excess, which is bad. Such an understanding of happiness and joy-filled behaviors denies our human dignity. It leads us to behave about the same as animals. 

When we make the effort to purify ourselves and our behaviors from the disorder of sin, we become more and more human, what we truly desire to be. By becoming such, we are filled with true joy and true happiness. 

I’ve used this analogy before, but I want to use it again. A table is made by a builder to be used as a table. While we can try to use it as a chair, it will not work very well. We can get by, but after awhile we will grow uncomfortable and in a sense, unhappy. Similarly, when we live a life attached to sin, we can survive, however we lack the true happiness and peace that a life focused on living the will of God can bring. 

That is why we rejoice today. Not only because our Lord is coming soon, but we should be rejoicing for the joy that fills our souls through our efforts to turn to the Lord during this Advent season. If we are a little behind in those efforts, there is no time like the present to move forward. It’s never too late to turn to Jesus, to be made new, to rejoice in His Salvation!