Third Sunday of Advent / Msgr. Owen F. Campion
The Sunday Readings
The Book of Isaiah is the source of the first reading for Mass this weekend.
Isaiah was between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. He realized that unwise alliances and behavior that ignored God put the Hebrews’ kingdom of Judah at great risk. The prophet was convinced that, if the nation did not return to God in genuine obedience and piety, then the whirlwind eventually would sweep away life as he and his contemporaries knew it.
He met dispute and outrage. It must have been frustrating. Nonetheless, Isaiah unflinchingly called the people back to God despite the angry reaction of many of his contemporaries to what he said.
It was not as if God would bring a terrible punishment upon the kingdom. Rather, the people, by their impiety, would create a nightmare for themselves.
The Epistle of St. James supplies the second reading. This epistle rarely appears in the liturgy. The identity of the author is unclear, and it leads to another question.
The New Testament mentions four men with this name. Which, if any, wrote this epistle? Some insist that James, the foster brother of the Lord, was the author.
(Here is the other question. Did Mary have other children? Ancient Christian writers surmised that James in this reference was a son from a previous marriage of Joseph, the eventual spouse of Mary. They reasoned that this must have been the case, as they believed, with the Church today, that Mary had only one child, namely Jesus.)
Regardless, this reading solidly establishes the author’s faith that Jesus will be victorious. No power can exceed the power of the Lord. After all, the Lord is the Son of God.
While final victory undoubtedly will come, it will not necessarily come at a time that humans predict. And it certainly will not come at their bidding. But it will come. So, the epistle urges strong faith, but also forbearance.
The third reading, from St. Matthew’s Gospel, centers on John the Baptist, whose denunciations of sin in high places led to his arrest. (In time, they would lead to his death.)
Despising the Roman occupation of the land, pious Jews at this time yearned for a Messiah who would rid the Holy Land of the pagan intruders.
John gave another description of the Redeemer. He saw the Savior not as a warrior, commanding armies to slaughter the enemies of the One God of Israel, but as a compassionate leader, truly holy and a guide of the pious.
Jesus met this description, healing the sick, giving hope and restoring life, lovingly coming to Earth as God.
In the last verses, John affirms that Jesus is a prophet. In fact, John insists Jesus is the greatest prophet.
Reflection
Ancient cultures often found the dawn awe-inspiring and reassuring. As the sun creeps over the horizon, the sky presents a marvelous sight. It is not a sudden transition from utter darkness to bright light. Instead, everything first changes to a gentle rose.
In the spectrum of color, rose is the blending of red and yellow. Pink combines red and white.
Traditionally, priests wear rose-colored vestments on this weekend to remind us that dawn is here, the bright, golden light of Christ is about to burst upon the horizon of our world. It is overwhelming to consider. God so loved the world that he sent his Son to us, to give us life.
As in days of old when the re-appearance of the sun showed that all would be good, so Christians are reassured that they are secure. Jesus lives. He is with us.
Each of us sins. Each is imperfect. Advent is the opportunity to allow God to create a dawn within our hearts. We invite Christ to come to brighten our lives. †