Chapter Chaplain's Homily Reflection - JOYFUL WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD

JOYFUL WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD

The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday (Rejoice Sunday).Today, we pause to acknowledge that our Advent season of preparation is not one of gloom and fear but rather of joyful expectation. In the first reading, the Jews, plagued with so many problems in Exile, Isaiah tells them that the Messiah will bring some changes that will make the redeemed of the Lord break into singing and gladness. In the second reading, James exhorts the Christians who are undergoing some persecution from the Roman Authorities to be patient as a Sower does for the fruits of his labor. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples of John to tell John, who is waiting patiently in prison, that he has fulfilled the messianic prophecies of Isaiah.

One of the points we can glean from these readings is the patient waiting for the coming of the Lord. We are to wait in joy, hope, and anticipation for the new ways the Lord will come into our lives. Waiting for the coming of the Lord is not easy. We can become tired and weak like the Jews of the time of Isaiah, or doubtful and complaining like John the Baptist in the Gospel. We can go about blaming one another for the things that go wrong in the Church, like the audience of James. We can also feel disappointed with God for unanswered prayers and begin to take offense at him.

Today the Gospel reminds us that life is not always lived on the mountaintop where everything is clear, goals are achieved, accomplishments noted, and faith is easy. As a matter of fact, life is generally lived not in cities and upstairs but in the valleys where you get up and go to work every day, and where you wonder at the end of the day what it was all about, and where faith is tested and tried, and struggles falter. But no matter which situation we find ourselves in, Nehemiah tells us to let the joy of the Lord be our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and Isaiah tells us to break out in joy.

In a situation like this, where things do not meet our expectations, how can we be joyful?  With God, what appears to be a desert-like experience in our lives may turn out to be hidden fields of flowers. Joy isn’t the same as ignoring pain. It’s more like a rebellion against despair—a reminder that life is more than its difficulties. In fact, joy can be a form of resistance, a way of saying: the troubles don’t get the final word. And God is prepared to raise us up, no matter how deep we have fallen. All we need to do is renew our trust in his unfailing promises. With him, we heed James’ exhortation to wait with joyful patience because the growth of God’s kingdom takes time. The presence of sin in our lives and society greatly affects the growth of God’s kingdom on earth.

So, the Good News today is that we should rejoice in our patience. Patience without joy is equal to grieving.   To be patient is to be convinced that one’s present suffering is meaningful and necessary to realize a hope or expectation. In this case, it does not provoke sadness or complaint but joy because our waiting is far from empty. Rather, it is full of the hope of God’s promises to us. At least Jesus has assured us, through his message to John’s disciples, that God’s time has arrived and his favors are assured. Then our joy will be the sign that Advent is truly changing us and disposing us to trust God despite our current circumstances. Therefore, let us look forward to the coming of the Lord this Advent with smiles, joy, and songs in our mouths. 

Fr. Imo

Chaplain 

Arrowhead Desert Valley Chapter