“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5). Thus the Entrance Antiphon sets the tone of the theme of the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word which means “Rejoice.” The joyful spirit is reflected in the rose-colored vestment of the priest and the rose-colored candle of the Advent Wreath.
But, can we really rejoice in the midst of the lingering pandemic? In the midst of sickness and death? In the midst of economic hardship, natural and man-made disasters? With this sad situation, one could hardly be joyful, much less to rejoice always. Really?
We can relate with John the Baptist in today’s Gospel (Mt 11:2-11). He is in prison for speaking truth to power. Despite being faithful to his calling to preach repentance and prepare the way for the Lord, he is now suffering in a dark dungeon with death hanging over his head. His faith is severely being tested. So, we can easily understand why he sends his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Mt 11:3).
Jesus says in reply to John’s disciples: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them” (Mt 11:5).
This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah in the First Reading (Is 35:1-6a, 10): “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (Is 35:5-6).
Today is Joyful Sunday because we are blessed to “hear and see” the works of the Messiah as they are being carried on by his faithful followers. Through catechism and Bible study, “the blind regain their sight.” Through works of mercy, social justice, and the environment, “the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear.” Through prayers and celebration of Christ’s redemptive work in the liturgy, “the dead are raised, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them.”
We also rejoice because Jesus affirms our status in the Kingdom of God as greater than that of John the Baptist! Yes, he is considered the greatest prophet because he had the privilege of introducing the Messiah. But he did not “see” the redemptive works of Jesus especially His Death and Resurrection because he had been imprisoned and killed. Thus, Jesus says, “The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he” (Mt 11:11).
We are “the least in the Kingdom of Heaven” if we have not “fallen away” from our faith in Jesus. “Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me” (Mt 11:6). We are blessed, joyful, favored by God if we keep trusting in Jesus. “Make your hearts firm” as we hear in the Second Reading from the Letter of Saint James (5:7-10). And, as the writing on a cellar wall in Cologne found after World War II says: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I feel it not. I believe in God even when he is silent.” God is greater than all the problems we encounter. We can, therefore, rejoice always even in the midst of suffering and death. Really!