A couple of Christmas’ ago, my brother gave me a big jug of some “muscle drink”. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the “before and after” pictures on the jug were of me! The” before” picture was my face superimposed onto a girl’s body. The “after” picture was of my face superimposed onto a profession bodybuilders’ body. My brother was also kind enough to put an insulting “quote” and testimony from “me”! Yes, it was hilarious, insulting, and hilariously insulting.
Yes, at Christmas time, we must prepare for traveling, gift-buying, and sometimes, even prank gifts in the spirit of brotherly love.
Reading II
Phil 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
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.
This week’s Mass readings, call us to prepare for the coming of the Lord (and I don’t mean Santa Claus). The readings also clue us into how we can have peace which is something that every person wants. Right?
Peace that Surpasses All Understanding
In the 2nd reading, Saint Paul says that if we tell God about our concerns and needs “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Here we are promised an unheard of peace, one that “surpasses all understanding”. We are promised that this peace will “guard our hearts”. At first glance, it’s hard to understand how telling someone our needs and requests will lead to this incredible peace.
But Paul’s language suggests much. For one thing, his words suggest that God LISTENS to those who speak to him. After all, why would someone encourage another person to speak to a person who does not listen? Yes, Paul is suggesting something that each one of us needs to understand well- that God listens to us when we pray even though it often seems like no one in the world cares about us or that no one in the world understands us.
But with God, it is different. He listens to us and knows us intimately and he even knows us more than our best friends knows us (check out Psalm 139). And then of course there are people who listen, but do not care. Why should we tell someone about our concerns who listens but does not care? Paul does not explicitly say this, but it only makes sense to tell people our desires and requests if they care. Ah yes, God cares. Putting our concerns before the Lord in prayer will bring a peace that “surpasses all understanding.”
Peaceful, Happy People
Fortunately, I have met the Cardinal in my Archdiocese many times. Anyone who has met him and spoken to him would agree that he is a man of great peace. He is a man of great calm.
I also know a great friend of God who works as a nun ministering to college students. Indeed everyone who meets her sees that she heeds the words from the 1st reading “be glad!” and “be happy!”1 Her face beems with a supernatural joy constantly. Wow! It is a great pleasure to be around her.
I also know a missionary from the Southwestern United States. She is calm like the morning time at a secluded beach. To me, these people are living proof that telling God our concerns and needs brings a “peace of God that surpasses all understanding”. This peace will “guard our hearts”. How wonderful it is to know that you are under the protection of God!
The practical application is that we should pray.
Preparing For the Coming of Lord
John the Baptists mission was to prepare the way of the Lord.
Now, when you know that a guest is coming to visit your home, what do you normally do? Most people make a sincere effort to clean up their home.
In a very similar fashion, John recommends the same in the Gospel. He basically tells people to stop sinning and gives several examples. We believe that God knows everything. And so, there is no way that we can spiritually “sweep things under the rug” or throw our things into the closet. Jesus sees our spiritual mess no matter how clean we appear to be on the outside.
And so, this is largely why John the Baptists preaches repentance as the best way to prepare for the coming or the Lord. We can’t just prepare to clean up, we have to ACTUALLY clean up our souls through repentance.
The Lord will come to us in more than one way. He will arrive in his second coming, at the Euchartistic table at Mass, and he comes to us when we are in the presence of other people. In all 3 of these situations it is critical that we be prepared, most of all by getting rid of our sinful behaviors.
Just as it is feels good to have a clean house in preparation for a guest, having clean souls, through repentance, baptism and confession, we can rejoice, “be happy” and “be glad” at the Lord’s coming when we encounter the Lord through one another, at Mass, and when Jesus comes again in glory.
I’m quite sure that repentance is a great part of the reason why these people I have mentioned above are so peaceful.
Actually, the missionary lady I mentioned once told me that a man predicted to her that she would die. Her response was “I am ready”. Can you and I say with peace that we are ready? Let’s ask the Lord to prepare us and let us do our part to prepare for the God who loves us.
1- The first reading says “rejoice” which means “be glad” or “be happy”
Reading 1
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Gospel
Lk 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
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