by Fr. Tommy Lane
“What should we do?” is a
question John the Baptist is asked three times by different people
in the Gospel today. (Luke 3:10, 12, 14) People were wondering if
John might be the Messiah. People expected they would have to do
something if the Messiah came and asked John for guidance. John the
Baptist did not shy away from giving honest answers. Speaking the
truth courageously, later meant that his head ended up on a plate.
He reminds me of someone else who was also beheaded for standing up
for the truth, Thomas More, whose final words were, “The King’s good
servant, but God’s first.”
“What do we still have to
do?” is a question many ask at this time of the year as they prepare
for Christmas, not because of Jesus but because of food preparation
and purchasing gifts. “What should we do because Jesus has come?” is
a much more important question. One answer to that question is given
to us by Paul in the second reading today:
Rejoice in the Lord
always.
I shall say it again: rejoice! (Phil 4:4)
It is rather
remarkable that Paul was able to write to the Philippians, “Rejoice
in the Lord always” because Paul wrote that letter while he was in
prison (Phil 1:7, 13-14, 17) and not only that, but he was in danger
of being executed (Phil 1:20-23). Paul was put in prison seven times
for preaching the Gospel (1 Clement 5:6; see 2 Cor 11:23). So,
despite being in prison, and in danger of being executed for
preaching the Gospel, Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The
question John the Baptist was repeatedly asked was, “What should we
do?” Paul’s answer is, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” So, instead of
concentrating on the negative, try to be grateful for what is good
and thank God for what is good. Trust in God—it is very liberating.
Paul’s advice to be
positive in the midst of suffering has influenced the Church for the
past two millennia. Paul’s first word in the Latin translation of
today’s reading is Gaudete, “Rejoice” and has given the name
to today, Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice Sunday. Rejoice because we are
getting nearer to our celebration of Jesus’ birth, but Paul would
also say to rejoice in the midst of whatever suffering you are
undergoing.
The first reading from the
prophet Zephaniah also gives an answer of hope and joy to the
question, “What should we do?” The first line of today’s reading
from Zephaniah is “Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion,” Zion being
Jerusalem (Zeph 3:14), “Shout for joy, people of Jerusalem.” Just as
Paul wrote from prison, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” Zephaniah
proclaimed, “Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion.” Judging by what we
read in the first half of Zephaniah before today’s first reading,
Zephaniah ministered during a very dark, difficult, and low time in
the nation’s history during the early part of the reign of the King
Josiah. (Zeph 1:1, most likely before Josiah’s religious reforms of
622 BC). There was rampant worship of false gods and Zephaniah says
it was a “nation without shame.” (Zeph 2:1) But in that time of
apostasy, Zephaniah could proclaim, “Shout for joy, O daughter of
Zion.” Despite the hypocrisy of the time, when officially the people
were bound to God by covenant but instead went after false gods,
Zephaniah was able to say to Jerusalem, “Shout for joy, O daughter
of Zion.” So, I think the message of Zephaniah for us today, like
the message of Paul in our second reading is: instead of
concentrating on the negative, try to be grateful for what is good
and thank God for what is good. Trust in God—it is very liberating.
Zephaniah’s text is very
appropriate for Advent as we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth
because it is fulfilled in Our Lady. In Zephaniah, we read, “Shout
for Joy, O daughter of Zion . . . The Lord is in your midst” (Zeph
3:14-15) and the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “Hail, full of grace.
The Lord is with you.” (In the Greek translation of Zephaniah, the
connection is even closer as both begin with the same word.) In a
Wednesday audience on December 19, 2012, Pope Benedict said about
our first reading today: “This promise is fulfilled to the letter in
the dialogue between the Angel and Mary. Mary is identified with the
people espoused by God, she is truly the daughter of Zion in person;
in her the expectation of the definitive coming of God is fulfilled,
in her the Living God makes his dwelling place.”
John the Baptist was
repeatedly asked, “What should we do?” The other two readings give
us answers relevant to our time. Paul in prison, not knowing if he
will be executed for preaching the Gospel, wrote, “Rejoice in the
Lord always.” Zephaniah, during a time of mass apostasy and
rebellion against God, said, “Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion . .
. the Lord is in your midst” giving encouragement to people to keep
focused on God. Trust in God—it is very liberating.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2024
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Third Sunday of Advent Year C