Gaudete Sunday – 3rd Sunday of Advent, 14th December 2014, Rev. Fr. Minta Preaching
In the 1st reading, the prophet, Isaiah opens with the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. There are different spirits in life. Which spirit is on you and which do you want. God gives His Spirit to us freely. When Christ He left Him, the Paraclate, Councilor with us. Lets ask Him tyo come upon us and He will come and dwell in. He is always at the door of heart knocking, when we open up to Him He will come and live in us.
Anointing was in the past was used for Prophets, Priest & Kings. As soon as you are anointed you become a different being & you speak for the Lord and no more for ourselves. Lets ask for the anointing of the Holy Ghost to come and dwell and change us, it will wash us clean and make us a different person and give us a new utterance.
In the time of Isaiah the poor were known as the poor sons & daughter of Yahweh. They were unprotected and landless. Today we are also poor in spirit. We are in need of Salvation & we need it from God. We cannot be self sufficient, we need to be poor at heart and in spirit so God can come and enrich us and fill us. Without Him we are nothing.
The prophet says has sent me to heal the broken hearted. Today, we use broken heart more in marriages and relationships context to refer to a woman whose husbands have disappointed them. When we build trust in our fellow man it is fruitless as man cannot be trusted. Ps 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Let’s put our trust only in God and we will be like mount Zion we cannot be moved Ps 125:1.
Isaiah continues that he came to proclaim liberty to the captives – a captive does not have a right on their own. God is also asking us all to also bring liberty through Christ to those in captivity. Remember that Israel were also sent into Babylon, there they were maltreated and were asked to sing the Lords song in a strange land. Lets count of God for liberty.
Release to the prisoners, – we need to experience prison and that is when we will appreciate our current situation no matter how bad we think it is. In prison even the lizard is better off the prisoner. The lizard will go and come as it wants. But not the prisoner, the good & bad are put together, hardened criminal and sometimes the innocent will languish together. You eat when you are told to, sleep at others pleasure. We should give thanks to God for our current situation
To announce a year of favor from the LORD. It is out duty to bring hope from God to all. Especially within the current difficult and turbulent world that we find ourselves. That is the work of we Christians, we are living under the Grace and Favor of God.
We have various forms of bondage, spiritual bondage of the soul, mind and spirit are examples.
Another form is bondage of ignorance and deception some of us Christians are is we are easily deceived. We don’t read the scriptures and meditate on it day and night so we live win the bondage of ignorance and deception. Christ tells us in John 8:32 that “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” If you do not know the truth you shall be in bondage. What is the truth, the truth is one, that is that God made all of us and no matter what are circumstance is or who were are, there other people are better off than we are, so are we also better than others. It is what God has done.
But envy makes see others as being better than we are and we envy what they have and seek to get what they have at all cost. James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Even in church people come to show off or envy other people’s dress. We should not look down on anybody. But be content in what we have and ask God to improve our situation but not comparing ourselves with anybody.
Envy is the enemy within. It is this envy that makes us slaves. It is that makes us question God why me, why am I like this when everybody is when everybody is doing well and I am the only one failing. But who says we are the worst. We should not question God. We put ourselves in captivity when we do so. We always make mistakes and we become prisoners of our own character. As the 2nd reading from 1 Thessalonian 5:16-18 Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus”.
Captivity of negativity – in Africa nothing happens by chance or as a matter of course. There should always be a cause for it, someone should be behind it and it is not us. We do not seek the scientific reasons behind what happens. We do not want to hold ourselves responsible for our actions. Even when we drink and over speed and have an accident and die it will be blamed on the poor old grand mum or mother. We need to be responsible for our actions and know that our God is able and awesome than any evil force. Greater is He that is in us than in the world.
Some of us also think that nothing is possible even when they do not have reason for that. Forgetting that as Christ tells us in Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. So we should flee from the captivity of negativity and count on God who has brought liberty and created in His image and likeness and so with Him ALL things are POSSIBLE. Let is be positive in Christ Jesus. Note that the Spirit of God is upon us so we should get out of this bondage.
The idol of the tribe – we think we are better the other tribesmen. We call the other tribes derogatory names. This must stop. The Akans call the Ewe “apotofoo”, the Ewe call the Akans “Eblutowo” All of this must stop. It is mental slavery to think you are superior than others, it is normally inferiority complex that brings that up. As Christians we should know that we were all make in the image and likeness of God our Lord. We should know that God has given us different gifts, like the body all the parts are different but important and do different things. So lets appreciate the need for our diversity and uniqueness.
This is Gaudete Sunday we are to rejoice & be glad. In all things we should give thanks. You think you are the poorest person on earth you are not. Just put your trust in God. So the Advent Candle changes from purple to Rose pink. It is a time for Joy within the penitence period.
During a Mass in May at Casa Santa Maria in Rome, Pope Francis talked about the difference between happiness and joy:
“To be happy is good, yet joy is something more. It’s another thing, something which does not depend on external motivations, or on passing issues: it is more profound. It is a gift.“
To be ‘happy at all moments, at all cost,’ can at the end turn into superficiality and shallowness. This leaves us without Christian wisdom, which makes us dumb, naïve, right? All is joy … no. Joy is something else; it is a gift from the Lord.” If joy is a gift from the Lord, then the Lord Himself is our first and greatest gift, and the only one that will never tarnish or break or fade.
Gaudete – said “Gow-DAY-tay” – Sunday reminds us that the gift has not yet arrived, but it’s very near. It takes its name from the first word of the Introit, “Gaudete in Domino Semper,” which is Latin for the introduction of Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And it’s not just a Catholic thing.
But first, about ADVENT: The word means “coming” or “arrival”; and during the four weeks of Advent, we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. The air is rife with expectation, anticipation, longing. Readings at Mass during the weeks of Advent focus on this coming as a Babe in Bethlehem, but also on the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.
With all this emphasis on “preparing,” we try to be holier, more ready. Advent is a penitential season; and so the color of vestments during that time is purple, the color of royalty (for the coming King) and of penitence.
Advent wreaths are common in the Western church, including among Episcopalians, Lutherans and other mainline Christian denominations, which sometimes substitute a blue candle for the rose one (blue, though, is not a Catholic liturgical color, even though the Virgin is often portrayed in blue robes).
To continue with Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again, rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
So even though you may be having happy times during Advent, Gaudete Sunday is a moment to stop and reflect on the source of true joy. And if the Advent season has brought causes for stress and sorrow into your life, then lighting the rose candle is an opportunity to take heart and refocus on what the Mass of Christ is all about.
On Gaudete Sunday, though, we cast aside our penitential garment. Music is joyful and the organ, which may have been silenced during the first weeks of Advent, may be used. The priests wears rose-colored vestments, if they are available (although since they can be worn only twice during the year, on Gaudete Sunday and on Laetare Sunday in Lent, many parishes skip this expenditure). We light the third candle, the pink candle and rejoice at the nearness of Christ.
Is 61:1-2a, 10-11
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
1 Thes 5:16-24 Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
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