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| Third Sunday of Advent |
| December 14, 2003 |
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| Gospel Reading
according to Luke 3:10-18 |
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The
crowds asked John the Baptist, He said to them in reply,
"Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has
none.
And whoever has food should do likewise." Even tax
collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
"Teacher, what should we do?"
He answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is
prescribed."
Soldiers also asked him, "And what is it that we should do?"
He told them, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely
accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." |
Now
the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking
in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with
water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to
loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing
floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff
he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to
the people.. |
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is the third time this Advent season that me meet John the Baptist. And like the crowds
hungry for answers and direction we ask him again: What ought we to do in order to live a
good and happy life and be ready to welcome Jesus when he comes again. John's life of
poverty and humility is the answer to this question. Although harsh and radical, for
today's standards, but we all have a lesson to learn here. |
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| His
life and his lifestyle make us sometimes uncomfortable, uneasy. Don't you agree? And, in
order to suppress that feeling of guilt we try to associate ourselves with those on the
other side, the needy, those for whom it's still O.K. to gather possessions. We think
there are a lot of people who are still richer than we are, and they are the ones that
should be concerned here, not us. Right? |
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| Wrong!
John the Baptist is talking to every single one of us. That message is addressed to us. No
exceptions implied. We all have something and for that we are all accountable. |
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if you feel guilty about what you have and what you've accomplished you're wrong again.
When the world was originating God instructed the human beings that they work and make
this world a livable place. What we have, therefore, are the fruits of our honest work and
we should be proud of our accomplishments and grateful. It's no sin to be able to afford a
good and comfortable living. It's what we deserve; it's what every one deserves. It
wouldn't be right if we neglected or wasted our opportunities. |
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| However,
there is something wrong with the world in which three quarters of its population live in
poverty while the rest enjoy access to, often times, unlimited resources, like education,
medical assistance, career, time for vacation. |
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that's what John the Baptist saw and understood. He knew he was dealing with poor and
rich. He knew the world was divided in that way and he knew that not everyone gets an
equal chance. But he also knew that the situation couldn't be changed in one day and he
knew that the world was going to deal with this issue till the end of its existence. And
so he spoke the language that is common to all human beings, regardless of one's social
status and fortune. He spoke about responsibility, honesty and generosity. We don't know
why some have more than others, why some are smarter than others, why some are healthier
than others. But we know that we all have something we can share with others whether it's
our time, our experience, our love, our material goods. We know it, and God knows it. We
also should know that we are responsible for whatever we have. |
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world has been entrusted to us and we have to acknowledge it as a gift and find a way
where everyone can appreciate it. To our eyes it seems rather unrealistic that through our
sharing and generosity the world will come to a point where there will be no poverty. But
I can't think of any other way. And John the Baptist couldn't either. That's why he wants
us to keep the dream alive. |
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know that's not easy. We look at the life of Mother Theresa who was all-giving, and we say
to ourselves oh, I can't make that kind of a commitment. You don't need to. But what we do
need to do is to be attentive to that voice in our hearts that makes us sensitive to the
needs of others. We cannot be ignorant. |
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| I
know it's not easy to be generous. Generosity is not something we are born with. It's a
value that has to be discovered and understood, it's a habit that needs to be learned and
practiced if we want to be good at it. And if you're a parent you know it better than I
do. When a baby is born he/she is a very greedy little person. And you know how difficult
it is to teach a child to share with other children. I'm not a parent but I know something
about it from my own experience. It takes a lot of work to convince ourselves that we are
in a position to help others that there is joy in giving and that there will be plenty
left for ourselves. |
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| Some
people think that I don't have a lot because I took the vow of poverty. But I do have a
lot. I've got a pretty good education, my congregation takes care of me, I get to meet a
lot of people, and I've experienced a lot of generosity from people I barley knew. And
that's why I'm trying to learn how to be generous. And that's why I come to you on those
Sunday mornings to give back what I have so generously received. |
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| Let
me conclude this reflection with a short poem: |
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asked God for strength, that I might achieve. I was made weak, that I might learn humbly
to obey… |
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asked for riches, that I might be happy. I was given poverty, that I might be wise… |
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asked for power, that I might have the praise of people. I was given weakness, that I
might feel the need of God… |
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asked for all things, that I might enjoy life. I was given life, that I might enjoy all
things… I got nothing I asked for - but everything I had hoped for. |
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| Advent homily by
Fr. Mark Kalwak, SVD |
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your Christmas
Prayer Candle |
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Mass League |
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| ©2002 Society of
the Divine Word, USA Western Province - All Rights Reserved |
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