Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2008 /  So, then, what are you waiting for?

by Fr. Richard C. Macey special to The Michigan Catholic
Published December 5, 2008

The Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, "rejoice" Sunday. It is taken from the first (Latin) word of the Introit, the introductory phrase to the Mass. (The modern Sacramentary quotes from Phillipeans 4:4, which uses another Latin word for "rejoice.") Rose-colored vestments may be word to signify the halfway point of our preparation for Christmas.

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11

This passage is from the third section of Isaiah, chapters 56 to 66. It was written after the return from Exile Babylon. The country is rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple after it had been devastated from war and neglect. The prophet of God encourages the sagging spirits of those who have returned.

The people discovered that God was not tied to the land of promise. Nor was He limited in being with them through Temple rituals. They lost that security when they went into exile in Babylon. He followed them through prophecy and the promise of return to the land. That hope lasted an entire generation. It was fulfilled more than 70 years after they left. It was another exodus, another experience of delivery by God. Jerusalem is predicted to become a source and center for all nations to meet the Lord.

"Time" was the salvation of His people and the judgment upon the enemies. Cyrus, the King of Persia, defeated the Babylonians and released the people of Israel, so that they could return to their land. Isaiah 44:28 (and following verses) acknowledges that God uses even foreign rulers to accomplish His work. God responds to the needs of His people through the most unexpected (and unearned!) ways.

The image of the people as a bride and God as a bridegroom is recalled as the end of this passage. It was used in other places of the Bible, as in the prophecy of Hosea and in subsequent verses of Isaiah 62:5. The human covenant of marriage reflected the divine covenant with God. It recalled the people to faithfulness, the binding element of the covenant. Ritual and holy writings give people the opportunity to be in the presence of God, to communicate with Him. They also remind the people of the stories that renew their commitment and fidelity. Recently, I went into an art museum. I usually spend far more time with the Western art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. This museum was famous for its Far Eastern art, so I decided to challenge my comfort level and spend more time there. I had to read the descriptions much more closely. I didn't "get it." At the end of the day, I realized why I usually skip that section. I don't know the stories! So much of art depends on knowing the stories of our origins, the stories of our ancestors. We can only see the surface meaning, which can be confusing, unless we know the stories which have inspired the artist.

This has caused me to think. Maybe our attempt to lure our youth and young families back to "the old-time religion" is missing the point. They have to know the stories! Without the culture and practices of family life to support what we do in our one-hour ritual, our Sunday liturgy can become as foreign as my visit to an exhibit of Far Eastern art for those who don't know the story.

I have told my staff that I wouldn't dare take a vote at Mass about how many truly believe in the Real Presence – or what that means! And that is just from the ones who are still coming! I can tell by their behavior that many do not really believe or know what we are doing here. For whatever reason, they don't know the story. And I don't mean just on an intellectual basis. We have to tell the story by living out the fullness of that belief. The Scriptures and our ritual can help, but unless we have experienced that deliverance and tell that story (or find that story retold) like the ancient Israelites over and over again, we will not be successful in a deeper and lasting conversion of spirit. Religion will be just a distraction from life or simply entertainment, not the deepest expression of our identity as a people of God.

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

This passage is almost at the end of the letter. It is the final remarks of Paul to the people of the Church which he founded in Thessalonica in northeastern Greece.

In three of his letters, Paul tells his readers to pray constantly (Romans 12:12,14; Phillipeans 4:4-6; see also 1 Corinthians 7:5). He uses eight commands: three positive (rejoice, pray, give thanks), two negative (do not quench, do not despise), three positive (test, retain, refrain). Joy comes from faith and is associated with hope. The Greek word for "test" usually refers to judging moral behavior.

This is the first and only appearance of "spirit, soul and body" in the letters of Paul. His use of Spirit is ambiguous, since it can refer to the Holy Spirit or the individual gift of life one has received from God. The final sentence begins with the word "faithful," giving it emphasis. It is a quality to describe the presence of God throughout the history of His people, even in their own infidelity.

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

John the Baptist appears again. The Gospel of John is used more frequently in Cycle B because of the brevity of the Gospel of Mark. The first part of this passage is from the Prologue of the Gospel (John 1:1-18).

The last chapter of our Old Testament, Malachi 3, begins with, "I am sending my messenger …" The end of the chapter also promises, "I will send you Elijah, the prophet." This expectation of the anointed of God to proclaim His coming was a strong element in Judaism at the time of Jesus. He was to announce the final judgment upon all humankind. Christian exegetes have interpreted this scriptural figure to be John the Baptist. The purpose and meaning of John's ministry is in relation to Jesus Christ. Thus, it is not just a single instance of prophecy, but the entire purpose of the life of John that becomes the content of his testimony.

In paschal meals today, Jews open the door for Elijah, who is to announce the coming of the final age. "The prophet" may refer to Jeremiah. There is an old Jewish tradition that Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant when he left Jerusalem before the Babylonian destruction of the Temple. He was expected to come again to show the priests where he had put it. This air of anticipation of what is coming was more than just an intellectual exercise. It shaped the hopes of a people for a better life and a reminder of the presence of God in their midst, as well as His care for them as His people. This is the heart of the covenant message.

John saw his role as one to point the way to another. He was more than just a forerunner to the One who was coming. He is described as a "witness," the Greek word that is the basis for our English word, "martyr." The evangelist makes it clear that Jesus is superior to John, even though Jesus will be baptized by John in the Jordan River. Both Jesus and John were said to be "from God." But Jesus did not continue to do what John did. There is a great difference between the work of each of them.

Do you know what, or who, we are waiting for? Come, Lord Jesus!

Fr. Richard C. Macey is pastor of Our Lady of the Woods Parish, Woodhaven.