3rd Sunday of Advent

 As we live out our vocation as missionary disciples we are called to be witnesses of Christ in the society in which we live. In this way we, like John the Baptist, are called to be prophetic because we are sending a message to those around us of God's plan for humanity and for the Church. Just as the Jewish authorities of the day questioned John, so might people ask of us: "Who are you?" (Jn 1: 19) or "What do you say about yourself?" (Jn 1: 22) This is a good question and one for which we need to have an answer: "Always be ready to make a defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1 Peter 3: 15-16) The answer, however I may phrase it, should include a reference to joy. On Gaudete Sunday we are reminded of the gift of joy that should suffuse the life of every Christian because it is through our encounter with Christ that our hopes are fulfilled. Regardless of the trials and tragedies that beset us we have God's love, manifest and personal in Christ Jesus, to sustain us: "No, in these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rm 8: 37-39) So we can also say with St Paul: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near." (Phil 4: 4-5)