HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 /Psalm 146/ James 5:7-10/ Matthew 11:2-11


Agorsor Aaron Agbeshie

Theme: Gaudete in Domino Semper (Rejoice in the Lord in the always)


This Sunday is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word meaning “Rejoice.” We call today Gaudete Sunday because the Entrance Antiphon for today’s Mass invites every Christian and indeed the entire creation to rejoice. It says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” The Lord is near (Philippians 4:4, 5). What do you think might be a reason for our rejoicing? This Sunday’s Readings emphasize that proclaiming the joy of salvation in Jesus means more than simply telling people to be happy. It requires that we work to improve the conditions in their lives that prevent them from experiencing joy. Therefore, we are called to reflect on the fact that the salvation Jesus brings is of mercy.

In the First Reading, the Prophet Isaiah shares in the joy of this Sunday. The kind of joy Isaiah invites us to is a joy that comes when our situation seem hopeless. For instance, the images of wilderness and desert immediately bring out an idea of hopelessness but Isaiah says “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like crocus it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing” (Isaiah 35:1-2a).

He urges us all to be strong and stand firm for our salvation is near. So he says “Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong and do not fear” (Isaiah 35:3-4).

He reminded us during the First Reading of last week that when the Lord comes, he will judge with justice but today Isaiah says that we should rejoice because mercy is the foundation of the salvation the Lord brings. It is like Isaiah is saying that “The Lord calls you back, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, a wife married in youth and then cast off, says your God. For a brief moment, I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back. In an outburst of wrath, for a moment I hid my face from you; but with enduring love I take pity on you says the Lord, your redeemer… though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken, says the Lord, who has mercy on you” (Isaiah 54:6-10).

In the Second Reading, James warns us that while we wait for the coming of the Lord, we will suffer. When the Lord comes, he will vindicate us and show our persecutors that our faith was not in vain. He presents the Prophets as models of suffering. He seems to say that the life of the Prophet and suffering are distinctly inseparable. This means that anyone who claims to follow Jesus must be ready to endure suffering. The Old Testament Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, and the like are examples for our imitation and appraisal.

James’s message is meant to stir up our trust in the Lord’s faithfulness to his promise that he will come. Therefore, he urges us that when all around us people are proclaiming the absence of the Lord, we must be able to give an account of the hope that is in us (1Peter 3:15). James has not promised us a problem free Christianity. On the contrary, he says amidst all the trials, the Lord’s promise rings out because the Lord’s promises are true and they are everlasting. Like Isaiah will say “Those whom the Lord ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee” (Isaiah 35:10).

The Psalmist makes the words of James true that the Lord is faithful when he says “Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth… who keeps faith forever…” (Psalm 146:5-6). Indeed, the Lord’s faithfulness never comes to an end. They are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness (cf Lamentations 3:22-23).

A closer look at today’s Gospel Reading will reveal John the Baptist in prison, awaiting beheading, for censuring Herod. This means that it agrees with James that suffering awaits the Prophets of God. While in prison, John, perhaps accessing his work was a little bit confused about the activities of Jesus. Perhaps, he was getting disappointed about the way Jesus went about his ministry. Where is the winnowing fan that Jesus is to wield in his hand in order to bring destruction to the unrepentant hearts?
John was perhaps right in sending his disciples to Jesus in order to clear his doubts “Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another (Matthew 11:3).

Jesus’s answer “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (Matthew 11:5-6) should be a course for rejoicing. In Jesus’s answer, we come to the realization that the salvation that Jesus brings is of mercy. Sometimes in our bid to proclaim the Gospel, we wish God acts fast like the way we want it. But Jesus teaches us that he must fulfill every bit of his manifesto as stated in Luke 4: 16-19. Jesus admonishes that no one should take offense at the seemingly slow pace at which he is establishing his kingdom here on earth.

In sum, the readings of today point out the way all of us must go: we are invited to shelve our funny idea about the Lord’s coming, what he must be and do and to view Jesus’ miracles and understand them in the light of the merciful deeds of the Messiah. This is the way of faith; a way that calls for total abandonment of ourselves and our will to that of God. It is only with this can we remain steadfast in the midst of suffering because we know that “Hope will not fail us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit has given to us” (Romans 5:5).