The Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday – a Sunday for rejoicing! On this Rejoicing Sunday, a good question to ask yourself is this: in these times and in this culture that is so negative and cynical and seemingly without hope, about what do you have to rejoice?
Halfway through our Advent pilgrimage we pause for a moment for rejoicing. The readings are generally happy readings and provide us with a glimpse of our final destination. A wonderful sight is set before us, one that is truly a reason for rejoicing. However the readings are not all scenes of peace and tranquility. There is a paradox here. On the one hand, there is a scene of blossoming life and beautiful restoration; on the other, there is a picture of John the Baptist languishing in prison.
We all need to have some empathy for John the Baptist. He appeared to do everything right. Even the public historian Josephus describes John the Baptist as a very gifted and popular preacher, while he has very little to say about Jesus. John’s expectations of the Messiah were not in synchrony with what he saw in Jesus. So he was very confused. Have you ever had a situation or an experience, similar to that of John the Baptist where you did everything that you thought was right but nothing seemed to turn out the way you wanted? Yet, it seems that in the midst of his “prison”; John the Baptist is awaken not to sadness or despair but to hope and grace. Grace is the unmerited blessed of God in our life. Have you ever experienced a ‘grace filled’ moment?
Can you name a moment in your life when you were “awaken” to rejoice not in despair, fear, punishment, but rather to a blessing that was not merited – a grace filled encounter.
So what do we have to rejoice for ? So why are we pausing to rejoice? Well because we are His children and because of that - well - we live in Grace.