Third Sunday of Advent

 Today is the Feast of is Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of Mexico and the Americas. Many of you know the story: The Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego outside of Mexico City in 1531.  She asked him to have a chapel built on that site. When he went to the bishop with his cloak or tilma filled with unusual roses and opened it up before the bishop, a painted image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared on his cloak.  The image hangs in the Basilica that honors these apparitions and millions of pilgrims visit this shrine every year.

This chasuble is rose-colored: rose symbolizes joy! The third Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudete" Sunday: “Gaudete” is a Latin verb meaning “rejoice.” Why?  Jesus, the joy of our salvation, is about to be born. This season is indeed a time to rejoice. We have so much to be thankful for: family, friends and faith. Many people lack what we take for granted. Why not a gift for the Giving Tree in the Narthex in gratitude for our blessings.

It's also the season for letters to Santa.  Here's one. Dear Santa, please bring me a big fat bank account and a slim body. And don't mix those up the way you did last year. 

The word of God takes us back to the seventh century before Jesus. The book of Zephaniah brings a hymn of freedom. Shout for joy, sing, be glad, the author proclaims. Why? Because “God is in your midst,” and will free you. Yes, God is near us, especially in “tough” times.

 Paul, in his letter to the Christian community at Philippi in Greece, urges people to be joyful and generous, to pray confidently, and not to be anxious. The word invites us to cast our worries upon God because God loves us.

 In the Gospel, John the Baptizer preaches repentance. When the crowds asked what they should do, John answered simply, help the needy, be fair and honest, don’t be greedy. He went on to say, “One mightier than I is coming...He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.”

The courage of John the Baptizer here caught my attention. He had the courage to proclaim a God-centered, other centered life. He had the courage to speak truth to power—King Herod--and paid with his life. John wasn’t afraid to do the right thing. He was a profile in courage.

 A common phrase in the Bible is “Do not be afraid.” Or “Be not afraid.” The phrases appear more than one thousand times. I think God is trying to get a message across to us.

Some psychologists argue that fear is a dominant emotion. We're afraid of failure, afraid of certain places or certain people, afraid of criticism, afraid to say how we really feel and what we think. Fears can paralyze us. In fact, fear stops more people from doing something extraordinary than lack of ability. Think about it.

As an aside, I read somewhere that the # 1 fear in the U.S. is having to give a speech. The # 2 fear is having to listen to one.

Now, courage is not the absence of fear, but the acquired ability to move beyond fear. Read the book “Churchill: Walking with Destiny.” Much can be accomplished in one moment of courage. By the same token, much can be lost in one moment of fear.  

 

Courage is a virtue. You learn to play a sport, or a musical instrument, by playing. You acquire courage by practicing courage. Virtues are like muscles; when you exercise them, they get stronger. 

 

Starting a new venture, making a sacramental commitment, coming humbly before God in prayer, asking for forgiveness, speaking up for what we think is right: they all require courage.  It animates us and makes so much possible.  Many argue that the measure of one's life is the measure of one's courage.

 

It takes courage to do something “just right” as Therese of Lisieux did daily when called upon to choose between careful quality and what’s just enough.

It takes courage to stand on principle and an informed conscience, as Thomas More did against King Henry VIII.

 In short, it often takes courage to choose what is right in decisions that affect work, career, family and social life. We know that in the struggles of life we are not alone. God has given us the seven gifts of the Spirit, and with God near, we can do the right thing.

 In the end, a life grounded in courage leaves us at peace within ourselves. Only such a life — with the struggle for an informed conscience and to stand up for what's right — can bestow this inner calm that comes from being in harmony with God and with our own best inner selves.

 So, always seek simply what is right as John the Baptizer did. And having found what is right and good and true, just do it. Remember the color rose is for joy. Run for the roses!