Third Sunday of Advent “B” Cycle – December 13, 2020 - John 1:6-8, 19-28
There’s a prayer that the priest says at every Mass: it’s part of a bridge prayer that links the Our Father as we know it, and the ending of the Our Father as proclaimed by many Christian churches. The text ends: “as we wait in hope, for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” All year long, we hear this prayer, but during Advent, we’re invited to pay more close attention to its message. Why? Because on this Gaudete (Rejoicing) Sunday, we are now more than halfway toward our goal of celebrating Jesus’ birth at Christmas, and the more attentive we can be to new signs of life around us, the more ready we’ll be to carry the Christmas Good News.
The key messages in all the Scripture passages this weekend are positive one: hope, joy and thanksgiving, and these virtues are ENCOURAGED even if there’s not a lot of Good News around in the news! That is, we as God’s People are encouraged to use GOD’s strength to spread the Good News, with the zeal of a prophet, and the joy of a missionary being sent to his or her first mission.
There’s NO doubt frayed nerves and worries about the future have darkened some folks’ outlooks, and has even taken away the DESIRE of some to look for joy and hope, in a world that needs a dose of both. But using Pope Francis’ teaching from the Jesuit training he received years ago, I suggest that to see God in all things in this Gospel, we would do well to focus not on ourselves, but on the teacher who is Someone greater. And in that vein, I want to point out two signs of hope for our world going forward that brought me joy and gratitude.
The first one has to do with the number vaccines being developed for the Covid-19 Virus. In my mind, the JOY and GRATITUDE part enters the story because of a MONUMENTAL SHIFT in how the research and development of those vaccines occurred. As many of you already know, different drug companies invest HUGE amounts of money and time in research and development, always with an eye toward a profit. Usually, it occurs in a secretive, controlled environment, because if a company is first to have treatment or a cure, they will make the lion’s share of money, especially in the very beginning. This time, in response to the worldwide pandemic, drug companies, researchers and universities have engaged in a WIDESPREAD sharing of research and resources, and later test results on patients, because a vaccine for all was a goal that everyone could get on board with. This attitude of sharing among others is certainly one that Jesus encouraged during the years of His public ministry, and would have approved of.
The second ray of joy and hope came from a franchise store, a Dairy Queen store in Minnesota. One drive-through customer's kind act sparked a two-day pay-it-forward at a Dairy Queen. Nearly $10,000 worth of food was paid forward for strangers, starting on a Thursday afternoon. The first customer offered to pay for the food of the driver behind them. What started as 1 random act of kindness from one man paying for the car behind him in a Dairy Queen resulted in over 900 cars also taking part in the pay-it-forward chain. Now, the DQ manager said this happens a few times a year, but after 15-20 cars, it fizzles out. But NOT here. This time, the chain continued for 2 ½ days with over 900 cars participating, Then, the manager Ms. Jensen said:
"There's all different types of ways to help people," Jensen offered. "I think this touched people we didn't even know it touched, maybe deeply, and you don't know what's going on in one’s life. When the DQ closed for the night Thursday, one car left $10 to begin the chain back up Friday morning and again on Saturday morning. Jensen provided updates on Facebook.
One customer summed it up: "During times like these it restores your faith in humanity a little," she said. "The way the world is now you see a lot of anger, tension, and selfish behavior. What WE witnessed was pure kindness and it was a breath of fresh air really." But the best part for it for her was going home to tell her family about the DQ event, and how the whole family played a role in the pay-it-forward chain and kept it going.
Seeing how positive her staff became with every passing car paying it forward, married to the reactions of her customers when the cashier told them their meal had been taken care of, was touching, Ms. Jensen said: "No matter what's going on, take care of each other, be positive, be happy and don't focus on the negative, we'll get through it," she said. That sounds VERY much like the words of the prophet Isaiah today, about good things coming from God. As we continue with the Eucharist, and come joyfully to the Table of the Lord, or come to the Altar of God to make a spiritual communion, we have the privilege of doing so with members of His Body throughout the world. Let us be in union with others God has chosen in Christ. Come Lord! Come, Lord Jesus Christ!