Third Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2023 – John 1: 6-8, 19-28 – Reflection: Fr. Chris Heller

I LOVE the season of Advent, & especially love today in our tradition, known as Gaudete (Rejoice!) Sunday. It reminds me that the word JOY is also an acronym for 3 words: Jesus, others, & yourself; & when I keep things in the right order & perspective, my life is more in sync with God’s plan. So I got to thinking: how do I carry JOY over into daily life during this busy & beautiful season?

Let me suggest two virtues that help me to maintain joy, in the midst of life’s ups/downs. First is gratitude: when I’m grateful for what I have, & not pining for what I don’t have, I live a much more peace and content life. I feel more rooted when I’m grateful.  e.g., there’s a retired woman I’ll call Rita, who works at a food bank not too far from here. She’s grateful she’s reached retirement age in relatively good health, & she has one desire: to be of service and assistance to less fortunate men & women on a weekly basis. Rita finds that volunteering is a key part of her time each week. She’s ALSO grateful that her pension is putting food on her table, & as she’s stacking cans of food in the food bank, she’s not for a single minute taking her own food supply for granted. You might consider for what you are grateful, and see if your gratitude keeps you rooted & grounded in reality like it does for Rita.

The other virtue is humility, which is certainly one of the major ones for John the Baptist. The word “humility” comes from the Latin word “humus” which means soil or earth. & while some might say that soil or earth is COMMON or ordinary, John the Baptist certainly is not! Like earth itself, John is a conduit for the JOYFUL news that Jesus is on the way. John is ALSO like a one-way sign: he points EXCLUSIVELY to Jesus, & never to himself. But we should not mistake HUMILITY for John being a doormat or downer: not at all!  John the Baptist is a LIVELY preacher, a CARRIER of the Christ message, & he knows God called him. So what about us: where does humility enter our picture?

Well, you & I know that God has called US as well: God calls us each week to receive Holy Communion. We should remember that not everyone has the privilege or the opportunity to receive as often as we do, & we can never come to Communion with a sense that we’re earned it, or that we’re entitled to it. But I find it good to remember that God calls us to the Eucharist, because God wants to partner with us, in a partnership that will never end. I’ve tried to point this out to couples engaged to be married, by reminding them that there are still LOTS of people out there LOOKING for life-time partners to commit their lives to, but they haven’t yet found them.  You & I HAVE BEEN FOUND & identified by God for Eucharist: God WANTS the sacred soil of our soul to be enriched by the divine life of Holy Communion. WE have been chosen for sacred service in life.

In our younger years, we were encouraged to dedicate the grace of a particular Holy Communion to benefit specific intentions in other people’s lives. I once heard a woman say she offered a Sunday Communion that her nephew might pass his road test: she knew he needed divine help because, as she admitted, he was a terrible driver! But there’s no reason why we can’t ask the Lord Jesus for extra assistance in healing the broken, or wounded, or bruised parts of our OWN lives. And Communion time, a time of humility and honesty in the Lord’s sight, can be a very appropriate time to acknowledge that not all is perfect in our lives, for we are still “in development, as works in progress.” What needs most help in this Advent season?

I find that remembering to be grateful for what we have, and being humble at communion, can increase our souls’ joy. I hope you find that same joy in the days & week to come, before Christmas arrives. So that at whatever Christmas Mass you attend, we can all say together: Blessed be God forever! – Fr. Chris Heller