Father Nathan Homily | December 15, 2019
Father Nathan | Homily
3rd Sunday Of Advent
Gaudete Sunday or “Rejoicing Sunday”
Introduction:
In today’s gospel we see Jesus is at work – enabling the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk.
It is a marvelous display of compassion for suffering humanity.
In the Eucharist we encounter the same compassionate Jesus. Let us not be afraid to let him see our wounds and handicaps that he would heal us. The third Sunday of advent is also called Gaudete Sunday or “Rejoicing Sunday.”
So, to express our joy in the coming of Jesus as our Savior into our hearts and lives, we light the rose candle in the Advent wreath, and the priest may wear rose vestments.
Let us rejoice in the Lord.
Scripture lessons summarized:
In Today’s first reading (Is 35:1-6a, 10) the prophet Isaiah, uses the image of the desert, made fertile by rain to portray the confident hope that God would restore his people crushed by misfortune.
Their most crippling disabilities – blindness, deafness, and lameness – will be relieved when God sends salvation to his people. He encourages the exiled Jews in Babylon to rejoice because their God is going to liberate them from slavery and lead them safely to their homeland.
The second reading (James 5: 7-10) St. James the Apostle urges us to be patient with one another and patient regarding the Lords final coming. He encourages the early Christians to rejoice and wait with patience for the imminent second coming of Jesus.
Today’s Gospel (Mt 11:2-11)
Jesus encourages John the Baptist while in prison to rejoice by casting away his wrong expectations about the Messiah and simply accepting Jesus’ healing and preaching ministry as the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah.
In the second part of today’s Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus, the true Messiah, paying the highest compliments to John the Baptist as his herald and the last of the prophets, and giving special credit to the courage of John’s prophetic convictions, asking his listeners to rejoice in the greatness of his herald.
All the three readings of today’s mass have comforting words.
In the first reading Isaiah says
“Courage, do not be afraid”
In the second reading St. James says
“Be patient! Do not lose heart”
In the gospel we have the lovely words of Jesus to his cousin john
“Happy the person who doesn’t lose the faith.
John’s situation was a grim one. He was locked up in a dark dungeon with the threat of death hanging over him. His faith was being severely tested. He needed reassurance and comforting, no doubt Jesus’s words were a source of comfort and strength to John.
Those comforting words of Jesus are addressed to us now.
We need to drink them in because at times we too can find ourselves in dark situations. We might be going along nicely but then a storm suddenly hits us; serious illness, loss of someone – family or friend…. these kinds of things shatter our faith in the right order of things and even in God.
At times like these may we hear the words of Isiah “take courage! Do not be afraid”
Life Messages:
1) We need to learn how to survive a Faith crisis: If John the Baptist, even after having had a direct encounter with Jesus, the Messiah, had his doubts about Jesus and his teachings, we, too, can have our crises of Faith.
On such occasions, let us remember the truth that all our Christian dogmas are based on our trusting Faith in the Divinity of Jesus who taught them, and on his Divine authority which he gave to his Church to teach what he taught.
Hence, it is up to us to lean our Faith in depth and so to remove our doubts.
2) “Go and tell others what you hear and see.” We rejoice at the thought that Jesus is going to be reborn in our lives, deepening in us his gifts of love, mercy, forgiveness, and the spirit of humble and sacrificial service during this Christmas season.
Hence, let us joyfully share God’s bountiful grace, forgiveness, and mercy with others. What Jesus commanded John’s disciples, he commands us as well:
“Go and tell others what you hear and see.”
This means that we have to share with others our experience of the rebirth of Jesus within us.
3) Let us hold on to our faith. Faith is a fragile thing. We mustn’t be surprised when doubts arise within us.
God will understand our doubts in a world like this. But blessed are we if we do not lose our faith in Jesus.
And twice blessed are we if, like Jesus, we are able to show forth our faith in deeds of love and mercy.
Amen…
Have a Blessed Week,
Fr. Nathan
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Past Messages from Father Nathan
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 28, 2021
The Mysteries of our Faith. As the Lenten Season has started please make all the efforts possible to participate in the liturgy and other pious activities of the church. These are the ways and means we are able to understand the mystery of Christ…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 21, 2021
We have just started the Lenten season. It’s one of the most precious and holiest seasons of the year… Let us try to know Christ and let us try to understand him. Please, make an effort to talk to Him and with Him through the readings of the scripture, praying the rosary as a family,
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 14, 2021
Ash Wednesday | The Beginning of Lent
“Repent and believe in the Gospel” is the captivating sentence as we begin the holy season of Lent. For any Roman Catholic Church, the suffering the death of Christ is the mystery of our faith. Our faith revolves around this.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 07, 2021
Let me again have the privilege to thank all of you again for your support and for the love that you continue to shower down upon me.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 31, 2021
Thoughts on healing a broken heart… Thank you for your love and care. It’s the greatest and warming feeling that one is being loved, we hear that Christ longed for this acceptance from His people when he lived here in His time.
Special Message from Father Nathan | January 24, 2021
Thank you for your kindness, love, support and above all your valuable prayers. To me, as like all of you, family means a lot to me. We are united ONLY WITH LOVE. I always feel the LOVE VIBRATION in my family. I feel so BLESSED about my family as I feel with you all.