OMELIE / Omelie EN

17 dic 2023

17/12/2023 - 3rd Sunday of Advent - year B

17/12/2023 - 3^rd Sunday of Advent - year B

Reading 1 IS 61,1-2.10-11 Psalm LK 1,46-50.53-54 Reading 2 1THES 5,16-24 Gospel JN 1,6-8.19-28

We continue to look at and listen to John the Baptist. Today he is introduced to us as the witness. His life and his words are a testimonial for the one who is the prophet, the light, the Christ, the Bridegroom! From the answers he gives to the investigators sent by the Jews of Jerusalem to check him out, we can gather that he lives for Jesus, because he knows he has been sent by God Himself so Jesus may be known, welcomed and followed.

The importance of John is importance which depends on the one far more superior of the person he is introducing. John is not looking for his own glory, or his own affirmation, he does not want to obscure not even a little bit the light of the one who is “the dawn from on high”. He is such a precious example for us: as Jesus’s disciples, all we do, we want to do it for the glory of our Master and Lord, not in order to be admired, plauded and recognised by men, to be considered great or important. This is the humility of the true Saints, like the Most Holy Mary’s and of all the apostles’: they have considered their life a service to God, which is a service to all humanity which God wants to protect, love and save. There is no greater vocation of this, just like Mary herself came to say: “He has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me”.

So, John enjoys being able to say he is not the Messiah, and not even the prophet, none of those people his listeners where worried he might claim to be. John’s joy is being a servant, being able to talk about Jesus, to announce His presence, prepare His coming in the hearts of the men, in particular those who can recognise they are sinners. In fact, on Him, as the prophet Isaiah says in the first reading, God’s Spirit lays, the Spirit which anoints and makes able to do God’s deeds, deeds which give health and freedom: “He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captives”.

Already Isaiah is announcing the joy, the same that John shows to the repenting sinners who are drawn to him, the joy that afterwards the Apostle Saint Paul wants to see lived by the Christians. The message he addresses to the Thessalonians begins just like this: “Rejoice always”.

We can ask ourselves: how is it possible to rejoice in a world which makes us see and experience evil and suffering, violence and prevarication at all times? This is the recipe for joy: “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks”.

The prayer always filled with thankfulness to the Father is a source of joy, a joy which is not celebrating things which are temporary, but God’s love, the obedience of Jesus, the light and the consolation of the Spirit.

The preface of the Mass is almost always introduced by the following words: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord.”. It is true, it is a source of salvation, and therefore of joy, to give thanks! God Himself rejoices when we thank Him, and His joy is reflected in our heart.

We prepare ourselves to welcome and celebrate our Savior by exercising joy, by thanking continuously the Father for Him and because we can be His servants and His witnesses!