Living Testimony of God’s Grace: 3rd Sunday of Advent
Sermon by Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Third Sunday Of Advent – Year B
Sermon And Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Rejoice, pray and give thanks to God! The living testimony of God’s grace! Testimony to Grace!
Point of Reflection: Today’s liturgy invites a reflection on how we bear testimony to God’s grace. This grace manifests itself in numerous ways. Do I recognise God’s grace operating in my life? What are the daily graces that I take for granted and overlook?
First Reading: Isaiah 61:1–2, 10–11
Psalm: Luke 1:46–50, 53–54
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
Gospel: John 1:6–8, 19–28
Sermon (Reflection): Three important things we need to experience as Christians on the third Sunday of Advent: rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks to God. The second reading of today comes from the conclusion of the first letter to the Thessalonians, where the apostle Paul gives a series of instructions and recommendations on how the newly converted Christians ought to live out their faith. Today’s passage focuses on the prayer life of the community. Using short but stirring phrases Paul calls the community members to “rejoice”, “pray” and “give thanks”, seeing these three forms of worship as “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. What we all need as Christians during this Advent season is to rejoice, pray, and give thanks to God.
Today, is the third Sunday where the rose candle is lit to signify joy, we all need to rejoice because God became human and this is the celebration we have on Christmas Day.
The Thessalonian Church was encouraged to remain faithful to the prayer of rejoicing, thanksgiving, and praise regardless of the circumstances. Such persistence in prayer would prevent adversity from dominating their lives and causing them to lose the hope of salvation. To assure them that the hope they place in Jesus is not misguided, Paul emphasised God’s fidelity stating, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this”. Reassuring them that God will complete the work of their sanctification, Paul aimed to make them steadfast in giving testimony to God’s grace working in them in every circumstance. Such testimony was a way of manifesting that grace to the world, and of animating their own life of faith. As Christians, we need to the same testimony of God’s grace in our daily Christian life.
Today’s Sunday Gospel reading continues with last week’s Gospel’s focus on John the Baptist, with particular attention to his mission of giving testimony to Jesus. God sent John for the specific purpose of testifying to Jesus whom John the evangelist calls “the light” (Cf. John 1:4-5). Light always symbolises knowledge, insight, and understanding. As the light, Jesus who “became flesh and lived among us” (Cf. John 1:14), came into the world to make God known in his person.
John’s mission was to announce Jesus to the world and attest that he came from God with a perfect and credible revelation of God himself.
John was a respected and well-known figure, calling people to repentance and baptising them. His activities, reputation and integrity made the Jewish leaders responsible for the spiritual life of the nation wonder who this outstanding person was – could he be the long-awaited Messiah? In response to their inquiries, John declared that he is neither “Messiah” nor “Elijah” nor even a prophet.
Refusing to be identified with one of the great figures from Israel’s past, John highlighted that his mission is very particular and his task unique. He proceeded to describe this mission as that of “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness”, one meant to prepare “the way of the Lord” with his testimony. John spoke the truth about himself as testified to his God-given identity, even though he could have claimed for himself more noble titles of Messiah, or Elijah or a prophet, which is exactly what people expected him to be. He then again spoke the truth testifying that Jesus was the one sent by God; the one whom the people waited and longed for. In doing so, John gave testimony to the grace of God that appeared in their midst. Later in the Gospel, John will say that he “rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s [Jesus] voice” and that his “joy has been fulfilled” (John 3:29) as he witnessed the onset of Jesus’ Messianic mission in the world.
In the first reading of today, Isaiah presents his credentials for the prophetic ministry, writing about the anointing with God’s Spirit he experienced. The Spirit empowered him to carry out his prophetic mission and made him like the “servant of the Lord” described in Isaiah 42:1; 48:16, one who also received the Spirit in order to rescue God’s suffering people from injustice and persecution. The prophet was well and truly aware that his mission consisted of bringing the good news to those on the margins, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. This favour manifests itself through the liberation and restoration of those who had been enslaved and wounded by violence and injustice.
As Christians, we too are also enslaved and wounded by violence and injustice, we need to gaze our eyes on Christ who is our testimony to grace.
The joy of God’s grace and closeness cannot be kept hidden. The prophet in the first reading experienced it and felt compelled to share it with others, thereby testifying to God’s grace and gracious deeds for his people.
Christian Act in Word of God “The living testimony to Grace”
Giving testimony to God’s grace operating in the world is the basic task of any and every believer. Isaiah testified to it when, guided by the Spirit, he rejoiced at the promised renewal of Israel. Are we ready as Christians to receive God’s grace? The same grace-filled Mary, who, when testifying to her cousin Elizabeth God’s grace incarnated in her womb, was overwhelmed with joy which led her to exclaim, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”.
God’s grace operates in extraordinary and spectacular ways, but even more often it manifests itself in very ordinary ways in the midst of everyday affairs.
The canticles of Mary and Zachariah which are read many times during this Advent season help us to understand the meaning of grace in relation to daily life. Looking closely at the words of these great biblical figures, we discover that grace implies favour, mercy, and love that God showers on us daily. Both Mary and Zechariah were ordinary people like us. What distinguished them was the depth of faith and unreserved trust in God’s providence and mercy. Then, one ordinary day they experienced God’s grace in unexpected and overwhelming ways.
Many of us pay much attention to the great miracles we hear about from televangelists and preachers whose only purpose is to perform amazing acts and attract paying followers. Yet, does God really work in that way?
The Scriptures show us that God works mainly in and through the ordinary situations of our daily life lifting and uplifting us in the seemingly unimportant details of ordinary existence.
We can bear testimony to God’s grace working in our lives if we reflect on every moment of our lives, and make the effort to discern God’s grace and love operating in them. How often do we recognise that getting up in the morning, having a meal or being able to work are all God’s grace? The grace of God also works in nature, in the sunrise and the rain. Do we perceive these as reflections of God’s grace? This list of ordinary reflections of grace goes on and on.
John the Baptist testified to Jesus as the light of the world. He saw God’s grace incarnated in human form and shared his joy with others. As we draw closer to the celebration of Christmas and prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus and to receive grace upon grace, we ought to imitate him in radiating the light and grace that we ourselves have received. By giving testimony to grace, we will be able to uplift others and console the broken-hearted.
Let us live our as responding to St. Paul’s call to “rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances”. We will also, like John the Baptist, become witnesses to God’s grace.
Action: I resolve to pay attention to the daily graces coming in my life in different forms and events and thank God for them. I am the living testimony of God.
Prayer: God our Heavenly Father, we praise and glorify your holy name. We recognise your mighty power and graces in our lives, for we know that without you we cannot accomplish anything. We ask you to give us your Spirit so that we may bring good tidings to those who are in need of consolation and hope, so that through us they can experience and be touched by your grace, We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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