3rd Sunday of Advent - Year A

'Blest is the man who finds no stumbling block in Me'
The 3rd Sunday of Advent is what we traditionally call 'Gaudete Sunday' - a special Sunday in Advent which means 'joyful Sunday'. This Sunday in Advent reminds us that Christmas is nearing. The rose or pink candle of the Advent wreath is lit, and signifies that the coming of Christ is just around the bend.

In this 3rd Sunday of Advent, we hear Jesus performing many good deeds and miraculous actions: miracles which make the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, and the sick cured. But John the Baptist and his disciples still doubt and want to be sure that Jesus is really the Christ. So, they ask Him plainly, "Are you the One who is to come or should we look for another?"

If we imagine placing ourselves in this gospel scene, (putting ourselves besides John and his disciples), would we also ask the same thing? Or would we rather not be involved, then wait and see whether this Jesus was really the Messiah foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament.

As we consider well our lives as Christians, where there times in our life that we doubted that Jesus would really save us from whatever problems, trials and difficulties we experience? What did we do to our relationship with God during this time? Did we seek prayer and the help of the Church through the Sacraments? Or did we silently rebel inside and were tempted to give up our Catholic faith?

When Christ came into the world preaching, teaching and healing, He performed many miraculous deeds which astounded people of His time. Those who believed in Him became His disciples, but whose who doubted did not give Him any attention. They just dismissed the reality that the Messiah is Someone who would usher in a spiritual kingdom instead of a political one. And since Jesus also prioritized love above the Law, the Pharisees and the scribes rejected Him and His leadership.

As we experience our world today and see so many things happening around us, what do we focus on: do we look at the negative events or do we see the positive events that are happening? If we look at the negative side of things, then this would surely raise some doubts for us about the good that God has created in the world. But if we have a positive outlook in life, faith in Christ and His saving action today would be easier.

2nd Sunday of Advent - Year A

Christ is the hope of all people
Many today see Christianity as irrelevant to modern and contemporary living. It is probably because many of us base their hopes in material things and in job security, insurance, and the advice of professionals in the secular fields of science and other medical specialists. A consumeristic mentality, and a more scientifically-trusting mind seem to be influencing our generation now. This is not bad in themselves unless we base our trust in them alone. Consumer goods and science are both good in themselves. It is how we prioritize them in our value system that makes the difference for our living as Christians. If we place too high an importance on them, it can block our Christian vision, and lead our families towards a destructive direction - destructive of spiritual values that can ennoble us and make us the good Christians we are called by God and the Church to be.

Today's readings, especially the first and the second proffer Christ as One filled with the Spirit of God, and sent by the Father to be the hope of all humanity. When humanity is faced with dilemmas that medicines and the scientific sector cannot solve, it is the time for us to be reminded of the call to greater hope in God. This is especially relevant when we see newer strains of viruses and bacteria mutating in different parts of the world and affecting the health of populations to a great degree. But hope in God is in itself also a miracle. Miracles don't have to be extraordinary. Just the simple miracle of faith and hope can bring about a good journey towards healing and wholeness. When we rely not only on our own strength, but on the strength and mercy of God, the journey towards physical and moral healing is a reality too.

Returning to the readings, in the Gospel, John the Baptist truly shows that Christ is the hope of all people. He calls people to repentance and prepares everyone for Christ. Many come to John, enter into repentance and get baptized. The Pharisees too wanted to go through the process of being baptized by John. But John, with the gift of purity, saw what their real intentions were, and admonished them for intending what was not good. John knows that it is simple and ordinary people - those who have no special knowledge, no special position, no special ranking who can easily and sincerely repent. The Pharisees would have greater difficulty reforming their lives for many of them were attached to their worldly privileges and statuses as religious leaders Israel. The Pharisees have much to learn from the simplicity of John so that they would be more attuned to his message and be open to the message of Christ.

Simplicity of lifestyle is an important Christian direction in life. If we examine ourselves, we will see that the simpler we live, the more we can obtain an attitude of listening - an important attitude to hear better the Word of God and apply it to our lives. If we focus on Christ and let His Word and Sacrament take root in our life, the direction of complexity and sophistication we sometimes are tempted to take, can be avoided. When we take a direction towards simplicity of living, we will be more attuned to the essential things of our life: our family, friends, and those who mean much to us. And we will behold the miracles of God in everyday prayer, work and living. We will notice God's presence in the simple realities we often overlook: the bright clear sky, the cool morning air, and the birds winging their way and alighting in the streets to eat the scraps of food. A simplicity in outlook can help us see how God works in the ordinary, and we can then exclaim with more faith that Christ will always be the hope of our life.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)