The game has ended, the winners stride across the field basking in the thrill of victory. Then we glimpse a camera crew chasing down the most valuable player of the game shouting the question; you have just won the Super Bowl, now what are you going to do? I’m going to Disney World, comes the reply.
How about the longest running TV show that begins with a question every Saturday night: bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do; what you gonna do when they come for you?
We all have asked or have been asked the question; what should we do. Perhaps with all the rain we have experienced these last few weeks are the kids asking what can we do to have fun? Or with Christmas now less than 2 weeks away do you find yourself asking what should we do to get ready?
As people of faith, what should we do to prepare for the coming of the Lord?
This Third Sunday of Advent is full of many questions. Many of them revolve around John the Baptist, always a key player in our Advent journey of faith. Other questions are more obvious for all of us gathered here today. Why are the Priest and Deacon wearing pink? Why did we light a pink candle on the Advent wreath? What is this big fancy word we hear today: Gaudete?
We have indeed arrived at Gaudete Sunday. This is the Sunday in Advent that focuses on rejoicing! The vestments reflect this focus. These vestments are reserved for only 2 Sundays every year; today Gaudete Sunday and the 3rd Sunday of Lent, known as Laetare Sunday. Gaudete is the latin for rejoice. And indeed we hear the Christian imperative to be joyful people in our 2nd reading: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again rejoice!”
Even our responsorial psalm says we should “cry out with joy and gladness!”
Our Gospel finds the people in joyful anticipation of the Messiah. Many have come to believe that they have found him in John the Baptist. The people begin asking him many questions. In today’s Gospel alone they ask 3 times, “what should we do?” His answers about sharing coats and treating people fairly sound very Messiah like. But John has always been faithful to his mission and that mission is to point to the real Messiah, Jesus, who comes to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
From his very beginning, John has served the Lord. It was John, as a babe in the womb of his mother Elizabeth that leapt for joy when Mary, carrying Jesus in her own body greets Elizabeth. It was John who went out into the desert to prepare the way of the Lord. It was John who declares I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. And it was John who said I must decrease so He may increase.
We can take much away this joyful Sunday from John.
This Gaudete Sunday carries special meaning for me. At about this hour just one short year ago, I knelt before the Archbishop as he laid his hands on me, ordaining me to the Permanent Diaconate. As he placed the Book of the Gospels in my hand, I heard these words, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, practice what you teach.”
This is what we are called to do as well. This is the way to be joy-filled people of faith. This is what John the Baptist did! This is the answer to the question, what should we do? This is how to prepare this Advent for the coming of the Lord.
No, not all of us are called to Holy Orders. Sitting in the pew, many of us will never be called to the Priesthood or the Diaconate. But all of us are called, by that very same Baptism John mentions in today’s Gospel, to serve and to rejoice!
For you and me this means in the days ahead that we slow down, just a little, and prepare for the coming of Christ in our hearts and in our lives. How? Do we have 2 coats to share with the person who has none? Do we have some food to share with the person who has none? Do we have someone we have treated harshly or unfairly who needs to hear from us? Do we need to forgive someone who perhaps has treated us likewise?
Do we believe what we read? Do we spend time with the Bible other than a Sunday morning? Do we teach the faith, especially to our own children and grandchildren and do we practice what we teach with kind words and acts of kindness?
All this we can focus on in the week ahead.
What should we do? What are we gonna do?
Maybe we are not going to Disney World, and I pray no on here has the authorities coming after you, but we can all answer the question what should we do?
Believe what you read…
Teach what you believe…
Practice what you teach…
Rejoice! I shall say it again: REJOICE!!
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