COMMENTARY AND HOMILETIC NOTES

Third Sunday of Advent Year C

Written by John C. Kelly, S.J.

From Issue 24, Liturgical Readings

PREPARATION

The texts do not need much clarification. They speak for themselves. It would be more helpful perhaps to reflect on current concrete instances of (1) acquisitiveness and lack of generosity, (2) questions of justice, including social justice and (3) respect for every human person.

THEMES

I propose to deal with the themes of John the Baptist's preaching; then go on to the pre-eminence of Christ by whose grace we are enabled to live as the Baptist wished that men would. Then, we can turn to Zephaniah's psalm of joy and to the 'rejoice' of Philippians.

The preaching of John the Baptist.

(a) Sharing my 'tunics' (v. 11). If the second 'tunic' were superfluous then it would be spiritually liberating to give it away. Hoarding possessions clogs the spirit (Luke 12 :16, Matt. 19 :23-24, the barn-builder and the selfish rich). But here it is a question of giving your second 'tunic', even if it is not superfluous, to a man who has none. This may be morally necessary. Exaggerated acquisitiveness, selfishness, self-centredness (on myself and my own group), plain greed is at the root of all sin and is destructive of the personality. In our still relatively affluent (but frighteningly insecure) condition, there is a temptation to hoard selfishly, excluding all concern for those in greater need: e.g. the long-term unemployed down to basic social welfare, the elderly whose small fixed pensions or incomes diminish in value every month, the troublesome travelling-people, the disturbing down-and-outs. In a time of insecurity like the present it is easy to fall into egotism.

(b) The tax-gatherers were of course despised as a class. The Baptist was gentle with them (v. 12). All he asked for was basic justice. How gentle are we with those who are thought not respect-able? Who are the 'not-respectable' among us?

(c) Soldiers (mostly foreign mercenaries at the time) could be brutal, or men of faith like the centurion with the sick servant (Matt. 8 :5-13). John merely asked them not to use physical force and their little authority unjustly. 'No intimidation !' (v.4). Are we shocked enough when we hear that torture has been used? How do we use the little power we have? Do we exploit weaker people?

(d) The Baptist insisted that he was not the Christ. This splendidly unselfish man spoke unforgettable words showing a marvellous humility (John 1:19-28 and 3 :27-30): 'he must increase, I must decrease'. He practised what he preached. Our worth is our place in God's plan.

(e) John's baptism was mere washing with water. Jesus, 'the strap of whose sandal' John was not fit to undo (v. 16) will bring baptism of the Holy Spirit. That is the difference. John

could preach noble doctrine. Jesus, risen from the dead, gave the Spirit to us and in the strength of the Spirit we are enabled to live as God wishes. Without the Spirit we can do nothing. It is the Spirit who 'winnows the wheat from the chaff' (v.17).

(f) Jesus called John 'more than a prophet', 'the greatest of

those born of woman' (Luke 7 : 28ff.). Yet 'the least in the King dom of heaven is greater than he is'. Because, for John, the Spirit had not yet been given. So, we can recite Zephaniah's psalm of joy and cry out 'Rejoice with Paul. Christ has come! He comes with his grace and his power this Advent.

COMMENTARY AND HOMILETIC NOTES #2

Third Sunday of Advent Year C

Written by Eleanor Dorgan, R.S.C.J.

From Issue 48Liturgical Readings

HOMILETIC NOTES

What must we do? (E.D.)

This question, "What must we do?", must be of all questions the most frequently asked and the least often answered. It is voiced by so many as they look to the needs and the great problems of the world to-day, of the starving millions, of the unemployed, of the lonely. Then there are the situations of violence and of political and economic disintegration. Prayerful people also look to the promise and demands of the Gospel and again ask "What must we do?" We know that change must come. Political and social change on a vast scale has already begun. Besides, events in our personal lives call for deeply felt adjustments, often enough for a radical change of lifestyle. Faced with any one of them we ask ourselves "What must I do?" "What can I do?"

The question in to-day's readings is real enough for us. What about the answers? John's answer to each group who come to him is clear, practical and adapted to the life-style of each. For each the answer is different but one theme runs through all: justice to those who have less than we have, or who are in some way in our power. Those who have are to share not with others who also have plenty but with those who have nothing. Those who can make a profit at the expense of others are told to give this up, implying not only a reversal of an economic system but in practice a drastic reduction of income, Neither are those who have military power for defence or security to use that for extra personal gain. If we so often ask "What must we do?" is it because we are not prepared to be as specific in our action as John demands here. His demands apply to all of us for no matter how little we have or how many are our needs and responsibilities, there is always someone in greater need, whether of a share of our food or other goods, of our thought, of our time, and there are always better ways of using power in genuine service.

The Old Testament reading answers not so much the question "What must we do?" as the question, "What must we believe?". To believe is the basic form of repentance which in the Gospel sense of the word refers to a change of mind or heart. Here we are challenged to change our minds about God - the God we see as one who punishes is now the God who has repealed all punishment; the God we think of as far away and distant is, instead, the one who is close, right in our midst; the God we heard was a God of perfection who must be offended by all our inadequacies is instead the God who is very much in love with us to the point of exulting and dancing with joy over us. We are not asked to deserve this extraordinary behaviour and these extraordinary attitudes towards us on God's part. They have nothing to do with the way we are. They are the way he is. All we can do is accept him as he is, and that is faith. Maybe we should seriously ask ourselves if we believe in the true God or is our God a God I made for myself - or one that others made for me?

The second reading points less to action and belief than to the consequences of action and belief in a state of mind and heart. This is the challenge of joy and peace. These gifts are the consequence of true belief - belief in God as he has revealed himself, the God who accepts us, who is close, who delights in us. From belief in this God also comes an ability to believe in others, especially in those nearest to us - to be happy to be with them, to rejoice in their gifts, to be tolerant of their weakness.

The question "What must I do?" is answered through these readings at three levels, that of action, that of belief and that of attitude of mind and heart. It is all based on the one hope and certainty - that our God is near, that he is coming . He is coming now and he will come ultimately to sift out everything that we can neither understand nor cope with now. Must we believe in this God? Can we dare believe?

COMMENTARY AND HOMILETIC NOTES #3

Third Sunday of Advent Year C

Written by John Neill

From Issue 72Liturgical Readings

HOMILY NOTES

A strong sense of the future and what it holds permeates Advent. This is in stark contrast to the way that most people live today, and even to the way that many Christians believe.

When we do have to think about the future, there are two frequent reactions. We may think of tomorrow with fear and dread, and even with a sense that everything has gone very seriously wrong with the world. Anxieties and fears like these are often sharpened as we contemplate the chances of a nuclear holocaust. Modern communications often relay so much bad news on a global scale that it overwhelms people. On the other hand, we may be among those who look to the future with a sort of vague optimism 'Things can hardly get worse!' The trouble is that the grounds for such optimism are often as vague as the optimism itself.

Advent is not meant to make us dread the future, and it is not a restatement of half-hearted optimism. Advent presents us with the challenge to discern God's will and purposes in the world, and to grasp something of the fulfilment of these purposes.

Zephaniah was very clear about the way of life that God required of his people. In this he stood alongside many of the great prophets. The prophets seldom isolated moral requirements from an emphasis on God's care and love for people, and indeed his determination to draw them into a wonderful future with him. It was this that prevented them from despair, even if they had a particularly severe judgement to deliver. There were times that hope must have seemed very distant as their words fell on deaf ears. Today's reading from Zephaniah is one of real hope for a people who draw close to God.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of Israel's prophets make reference to the fact that God acted decisively in the past for the nation in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. It was in the light of believing in a God like this that they could hope for the future at all (cf Is 12). Hope rested on a reliable God rather than particularly reliable people!

Similar convictions underlie practical aspects of Christian living. The Church is dependant on a God who is powerful to guard his people by holding them in the right way. The future is not simply related to the development of the world scene, but is something brought to fulfilment by the Lord's coming (Phil 4:5). In today's reading from Philippians, Christians are called on to live in a new way because of the future that God intends. God's peace is powerful to transform whole lives - hearts and minds.

The Old Testament has many references to God's intention to pour out his Spirit on all people. It is in Jesus that this promise begins to be a reality. There is nothing purely sentimental about encountering God's Spirit. The experience of the Holy Spirit could be as painful as being purified by fire.

For Luke, the Holy Spirit is clearly to be seen as the link between God's purposes in the life of Jesus and God is purposes in the life of the Church. The Holy Spirit, promised in the prophets, given by the Father through Jesus, leads people forward towards God's future for them. The way of repentance that characterises much of Advent, and is the theme of John the Baptist's teaching, remains 'Good News' (Lk 3:18) because it leads towards receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings us into conformity with God's purpose, and so draws us into his future. This is Christian hope.

[Reprinted with permission from Scripture In Church. These Commentaries are three (3) of thirty-one (31) available for this Sunday's liturgy which are available on the CD-ROM. They include general and homiletic commentaries, as well as commentaries on each of the readings. This resource is available through the Homiletic Resource Center for ($129.95) $119.95. However, until Christmas Eve, it is available for the special price of $99.95!! It contains a wealth of commentaries, reflections and liturgical resources for each Sunday AND WEEKDAY of the three-year lectionary cycle. I guarantee you'll find something here to jog your homiletic juices whenever you need it! And it makes a great Christmas gift to any homilist, especially for those who preach on a daily basis!!]