(Here is my homily from last Sunday, at least the outline of it.)
Today, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word for “Rejoice!” We are in the middle of Advent and we take a day to rejoice.
We also hear today in the Gospel of a question that many people put to John the Baptist. The question was, “What should we do?”
Our three readings give us a pretty clear answer to that question, an answer that can be summarized in two words: We are to SING and WALK.
Sing God’s praises on this Gaudete Sunday, and walk the path of justice in our lives.
“Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O Jerusalem!” (Zephaniah 3, 14) Thus says the prophet Zephaniah in our first reading.
And St. Paul tells us in the second reading that we are to rejoice, and to make sure we really get his point, he repeats, “Rejoice!”
This is a day to rejoice, to sing “alleluia!” In fact, all of Advent is a time for song.
Our singing now, in this life, is with a certain amount of anxiety; we sing in anticipation, with expectant hope for that day when the Lord will come again and we will sing fully, without anxiety, the great unending song of heaven.
Yes, we sing today because God sings. God sings because of you. We heard in our first reading:
“The Lord will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you with his love. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.”
So sing today! And walk. Walk toward the Lord for he is coming! Don’t stand still, keep moving! As long as you are moving you are making progress. The important thing, of course, is to progress in the right direction.
How do we know the direction to take? St. John the Baptist tells us to choose the path of justice, choose the path of peace. The path of justice, faith and peace always leads to Jesus because the Holy Spirit prompts us down that road. The teaching of the Church guide us in that direction. All we need to do is to look and see.
Somehow, we must use a winnowing fan to clear away the chaff of our lives, to clear away the sin and the darkness and the smoke and the clouds that keep us from seeing the path. Our winnowing fan must include a return to the sacraments of the Church, especially the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We will find Jesus there. It must also include the practice of charity and justice to the poor.
Let us then walk in justice and faith. Let us walk toward Jesus.
In the Gospels, John the Baptist says, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”
“Where is the Lamb of God?” we ask. “Where do we look?”
Look for him in the sacraments.
Look for him in the Church.
Look for him in the person who is hungry, who has no clothing.
Lookfor him in the person indebted to you.
Look for him in those under your authority.
These people represent Jesus who has already come into the world. These people represent Jesus who is about to come again in glory.
We will find him there. We can walk in that direction.
So, give him food. Give him clothing. Relieve his debt. Be kind to those who depend on you.
Let us walk toward Jesus! He is coming. He is coming and he is singing. Joyfully he comes. He is singing and looking for us, hoping to find us walking toward him at his coming.
He does not stand still. He does not delay. He is coming!
So sing now, even if only in anticipation. Sing and rejoice. And walk toward him, Jesus, who has come, who is already here in the lives of the poor and in the Church, and who will come again in glory at the end of time.
