Sunday December 13th 2020: Read Br Michael’s Gospel Reflection The 3rd Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday
John – a witness for the Light
Today, the third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called ‘Gaudete Sunday’ and the pink candle on the wreath is lit. The opening prayer of the mass today says, Rejoice in the Lord, indeed the Lord is near (Phil. 4.4). Given what we been through and are still experiencing, this may be not as easy as it sounds, but it does offer us some hope and encouragement. Trusting God in the light is easy enough; trusting God when it is dark, that requires faith and Advent calls us to wait in joyful and faithful hope.
In the gospel today John is in the desert and he is still proclaiming the Word of God. He is pointing and leading people to Jesus, not himself. He is a witness for the light. He plainly says that he is not the light himself, but clearly he is a person of light. He lets the light that is within him shine out for all to see and experience. As the American writer Maya Angelou wrote, nothing can dim the light which shines from within.
Perhaps the invitation and challenge for us especially these days is rather than simply admire John from a distance as some heroic figure is for us to become more like him in our own daily lives. You and I are called to be vocal and visible witnesses to the light and more importantly, to be people of light whenever and wherever we can. Jesus himself says to each of us, ‘you are the light of the world; your light must shine for others to see.’ (Mtt. 5.14). What does it mean to be a person of light?
These Advent days as we do our best to prepare to celebrate the Nativity we can each do something to be a person of light in our homes with our families. A smile, a kind word of support or a phone call to a friend or neighbour can brighten someone’s day. No action, gesture or tender word, no matter how small goes unnoticed. We must never underestimate the impact that we can have on others and that they can have on us. Now more than ever we need each other’s support, kindness and encouragement. Pope Francis, in his new letter, Fratelli Tutti, reminds us of this when he says, ‘we need to realise that we are part of one another; that we are brothers and sisters of one another… (32) We need to communicate with others, to discover the gifts of each person, to promote that which unites us’. (134).
No one denies that these days have been and continue to be difficult and challenging for all us. Can we during these remaining Advent days find some light to look forward to with joyful hope?
Let us look for moments of light and joy around us this week wherever we can; they might be nearer to us than we think! Let us keep each other in our prayers and thoughts these days and soon we will be able to celebrate and pray with courage and conviction, that (we) the people in darkness have seen a great light.
What is bringing you some sense of joy these days? To whom can you offer the gift of joy and light this week?
– Br Michael Moore OMI
| Gospel |
|---|
| John 1:6-8,19-28 © |
‘There stands among you the one coming after me’
Have you signed up for our mailing list?
Each day, we email out a short video for the day based on a piece of scripture from the day’s mass.
Our community also streams daily mass and rosary. Sign up to our email list to stay connected.
Each Sunday, we send the Sunday Gospel Reflection direct to your email inbox.
During the seasons of Advent and Christmas, the Partners in Mission team send out a thought for the day, reflecting on a line of scripture, an image and an action point for each day during these seasons to help us in our daily lives.
Sign up here:
