3^rd Sunday of Advent (C)

1. This year Advent is as short as it can be. Effectively this is the last full week of Advent, for after next Sunday there are no Advent weekdays. The Gospel tells us that “a feeling of expectancy had grown among the people.” “The Lord is very near”, says St. Paul today in the 2^nd reading.  The feast of Christmas is very near. Last Sunday evening, I went to see the film “The Nativity Story”. One of the things that film does well is to communicate the sense of expectation, the sense that the fulfilment of the prophecy about the coming of the Messiah was imminent, and there is urgency in the air which affects the lives of everyone. The liturgy of Advent pushes at us constantly to prepare for the coming of the Lord, and I think a sense of urgency about our spiritual preparation for Christmas as for the coming of the Lord is in keeping with the message of the Gospel.

2. This expectation and need to prepare is underlined again today for us by John the Baptist, who, in giving his unforgettable testimony to Jesus, tells us: “Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” John the Baptist takes on the prophetic characterisation of the voice crying in the wilderness: “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight…and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.” To this end, John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

3. “What can we do?”, the people asked John the Baptist.  How can we use these last days of Advent to prepare spiritually for Christmas? John the Baptist told them to prepare with works of justice and charity. “If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and one with something to eat must do the same.” More than likely, Christmas will be awash with material things and with food and good cheer. We will have more than we need, more than enough. In these circumstances, we might like to make a significant donation to charity whether in money or in goods so that our hearts are not coarsened by the abundance we are fortunate to have and so that we can have the spiritual hunger which is needed to recognise the coming of the Lord with joy.

4. And there is another thing we might do in these last days before Christmas if you have not already attended to this. John the Baptist told the people to prepare for the coming of Jesus by seeking repentance, He invited them to submit to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus, he said, is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Surely the most important single act in our spiritual preparation for Christmas and for the coming of the Lord must be to approach the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that we can be welcome with joy the coming of the Lord and enjoy the Feast of Christmas with our sins forgiven.

Our Lady of Fatima, Lochwinnoch

17^th December 2006.