Third Sunday of Advent
I was in a brief conversation with a parishioner last week, whose very young and beautiful daughter has been struggling with substance abuse. She and her husband have been through recovery and relapse so many times that they are afraid of the happiness that every recovery brings. They are afraid that the happiness will soon be followed by the sadness of relapse. Even as I speak, this young girl is on the streets in yet another episode of relapse. In course of the conversation, this mother spoke to me about how she keeps her peace during these troubled times. Somehow, she says, I have learnt to keep my peace by keeping my eyes on God. I am not going to let this take away my peace during Christmas. She did not say this in any self-centered way. She is letting God be God even in the midst of her very traumatic experiences. I will return to this mother in a little bit. Let me first give you the theme and the context for today’s readings.
My focus today is on Isaiah’s proclamation in today’s first reading, “Here is Your God!” It is as if he was holding God in his hands and showing God to the Hebrew people. It was as if Isaiah was trying to bring close to the people a God who was thought of as being far away. Isaiah says, “Here is your God!” In this homily, I would like to reconcile the ‘otherness’ of God with God’s imminence. There is nothing more relevant as we prepare ourselves for Christmas.
When Isaiah proclaimed this prophecy, the Assyrians had already occupied the Northern Kingdom and the Babylonians had destroyed the Southern Kingdom. The Temple of Jerusalem – the very dwelling place of Yahweh, the only symbol of the identity of the Hebrew people – had been desecrated and razed to the ground. The citizens of Jerusalem had been exiled into Babylon. The entire land of the Hebrew people lay ravaged. If there was a time when the people felt totally abandoned by God, the exile was the most intense experience. Like many of us at a dark and sad time of our life, God felt very distant to them. To this hopeless, despairing and humiliated people Isaiah offers a glimmer of hope. “Be Strong, Fear Not! Here is your God!”
In my three practical implications, I would like to reconcile these two seemingly contradictory things.
a) God as a human person. We are in the third week of advent. We are preparing for Christmas. We are preparing for the birth of Jesus as a human person. In other words, not only is the human person made in the image of God, but God now comes to us in the image of the human person that God created in the first place. What does this mean? This means that God’s first sacrament is the human person. Every child conceived is an assurance of God’s presence. Every child born is a sign that God has not abandoned us. Look around you. Every person sitting next to you is in the image of God. Every person around you communicates the presence of God. God is nearer than we think. Sometimes we will find God in people we least expect to find him. Isn’t that the Christmas story. Yes, God is so much above and beyond us; on the other hand, God is closer than we think. Yes! Here is your God!
b) God as Bread and Wine. And then, as Catholics, each Sunday we hold a simple piece of bread in our hands. Last Wednesday, I was in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. For the first few minutes, I was merely looking at the host in the monstrance. Then suddenly, there was this deep and strong awareness that I was looking at my God. I have been in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament many, many times. But there was something different about it this time. If Isaiah was here today, he would be pointing out to the Eucharist and proclaiming – “Here is your God.” God comes to us in bread and wine because God meets us where we are. So that one day we can meet God where God is, in the here and now, God meets us in a human, simple and humble way. Yes, God is way above and beyond us; yet God is closer than we think. Yes! Here is your God!
c) The third Sunday of Advent is always celebrated as Gaudate Sunday or Rejoice Sunday. In this context, I want to return to the story of the mother I began this homily with. How is it that some people can find God in the midst of their pain? How is it that some people do not lose their joy and peace? How is it that some people do not lose their hope? I think the answer lies in the first two points. If somebody can discover God in the most despicable of human beings; if someone can see God in the bread and wine, then they have truly found God, no matter what life brings them. Think of Mary and Joseph - amidst the hardships of life, they cradled the Son of God that first Christmasm day. All of life, we will be confronted with whatever life offers us. Peace, joy, and hope is to continue to keep our eyes on the God who dwells in our midst.
This Eucharist is the most real sign of God's presence in our midst. Let us recognize God in the bread and wine. Let us not lose faith God's presence in this community. Let us keep our eyes on God, for indeed, "Here is Our God." Amen.
Fr. Satish Joseph