YEAR C: HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENTÂ
HOMILY THEME:Â THERE’S NO NEED TO WORRY
BY:Â Fr. Cosmas Ukadike, C.M.
HOMILY:
Its the Gaudete Sunday!
It’s name is taken from the entrance antiphon of the Mass, which is:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.
This is a quotation from Philippians 4:4-5, and in Latin, the first word of the antiphon is gaudete (Latin, “rejoice”; it’s also pronounced with three syllables: gau-de-te) and its message is comfort and joy (gaudete means rejoice.)
Just as we have been saying, Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus (both his first coming and his second coming), and by the third Sunday of Advent, we are most of the way through the season.
Thus it is appropriate to rejoice as we see the goal of the season approaching: “The Lord is near.”
We are urged not to worry, for the Lord is near. Holy Scripture promises the peace of God in our hearts, if we just ask for it. St Paul says, “There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving”( Philippians 4,4-5)
We see in today’s Gospel after John the Baptist had finished preaching, a good number of converts were drawn to him, seeking for a way out. John tried to change his listeners’ hearts by telling them not to be grasping, not to extort from others more than a just return for services rendered, but rather to help those in need. “If anyone has two cloaks, he must share with the man who has none.” (Lk 3,10-18 )
Let us therefore pray that the joy of the Lord who comes may aid us to remove worries from our hearts and seek to show more kindness and love to our brothers and sisters.
Have a fruitful week.
Fr. Cosmas Ukadike, C.M.
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