Urgent and Heightened Preparation
A Reflection, 3rd Sunday of Advent, 11 Dec 2022
On this Third Sunday of Advent we light the third Advent candle coloured rose which stands for JOY.
In the second reading of today’s Mass, we are told by the apostle James of the nearness of our salvation and the corresponding attitudes we should have: joyful expectation and patient waiting (James 5: 7-10). Coincidentally, in the first reading the prophet Isaiah presents to us the particular mission of the Messiah whose coming we expect (Is 35:1-6a, 10); a mission so great that it will effect drastic changes in the world: “The desert and the parched land will exult, the steppe will rejoice and bloom… They will bloom with abundant flowers and rejoice with joyful song.” Not only that, Isaiah also prophesied saying “the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.” Hearing these words proclaimed for us today makes us feel very excited as we intensify our preparation for the Lord’s coming.
Moreover, the gospel passage from Matthew increases our excitement all the more as the mission of John the Baptism (Mt 11:2-11) is revealed. He is the prophet sent by God to prepare the way of the Lord. In fact towards the end of his life while in prison, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether he was really the one Israel had been waiting for. The good news he got from their report was a long list of miraculous deeds performed by Jesus: “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.” And so, with eager longing and joyful hope, we who also long for the Lord today, respond by lifting up this prayer using the words of the Psalmist, “Lord, come and save us” (Ps 146: 6-10).
From our reflective listening to God’s Word, we realize that this Third Sunday of Advent is not only a call for us to heighten our preparation and increase our joyful expectation but it is also an impelling invitation to be on a common journey with the entire Church towards the place where the Savior is born. Above all we are called and challenged to participate in her mission today of urgently preparing the hearts of the people for the coming of the Lord, as John the Baptist promptly did during his time.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come! GiGsss!
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