Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Homily for third Sunday of Advent, 2023.
Readings: Isaiah 61:1-11; 1Thess 5:16-24; John 1:6-28
17 December 2023
Companions of justice guided by the eschatological hope.
Dear friends,
Today is Gaudete Sunday, meaning to rejoice because the Lord’s coming is near and with him, the fulfilment of divine justice. We are bolstered by the certainty of God’s triumph over the reign of darkness and despite all things to the contrary, we are and determined to work towards a better future for all.
We are inspired by the examples of advocates for justice, mercy and love like the religious sisters in war-torn Gaza. Most of them had the opportunity to leave but decided to stay with their people despite the risk to their own lives. Apart from the fact there is nowhere safe to shelter in the small strip of land that is like an open-air prison for 2 million people, it is logistically impossible to move the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities. Therefore, the decision to stay and accompany the victims of war is an ultimate act of sacrifice on the part of the sisters. This kind of dedication is only possible when the seeds of faith sprout out of a resilient love for both God and for his suffering people.
The Word of God on this third Sunday of Advent calls us to work towards God’s vision of communion, solidarity and care for the vulnerable. The divinely governed world, that is, the community of life on earth that is aligned with such vision must be our endeavour as followers of Christ.
The first reading tells us about the call of Isaiah which is situated in the context of the exile. “The spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, liberty to captives and freedom to those in prison.” Isaiah was sent to give fresh vision and hope to a people in distress. He was charged with a mission of reframing the hopeless reality into a new hope-filled future for his people.
In the midst of dispersion and diminishment, he speaks of the rebirthing of the remnant people through nuptial and agricultural imagery, like a bride adorned in her jewels or the earth makes fresh things grow. This rebirthing is the remaking of a people according to God’s design which is rooted in justice and integrity.
In effect, they are exhorted to transcend imperial systems of domination and oppression. Instead, they are to form an alternative relational paradigm, which would be the model for all the nations. This paradigm, which is the basis for the new society is based not on dominion of others but communion with them, not narrow nationalism but shared existence, not self-centredness but solidarity with and care for the vulnerable.
In the Gospel, John the Baptist similarly calls people to repent of the old way of living and to live the new. His cry “Make a straight way for the Lord” is a summons to change in order to facilitate the coming of the messianic era of peace, justice and integrity. John would later spell out the practical implications of the call for repentance. To the crowds, he would urge “give what you have; share with the poor”. To the tax collectors, “be fair and just”. To the soldiers “do not use your power for self gain”.
Both the prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist were the voice that amplified God’s call for greater justice, empathy and compassion. The divinely governed world is none other than a community of life where our ethical choices and actions must empower rather than diminish others. We are called into a life and a spirituality of companionship with those who suffer injustice. This was the way of Jesus and it must also be the way of his followers.
Brothers and sisters,
Scriptures today challenge us to embody the Reign of God for the life of the world. We can be people of hope just as Isaiah, John the Baptist and Paul called people to a divine destiny. Let us not be afraid of the dark time before us. Like God’s people of old, we can turn crisis into opportunity. We can live the Good News, time of repentance and conversion, time of living a discipleship of service and love, time to reclaim the powerlessness of Christ and the fundamental ethos of care for the weak.
Advent is a season of hope. Hope spurs us into action, knowing that our efforts will not be in vain. Jesus Christ is the true source of our hope. For his life, death and resurrection have launched the course of history irreversibly in the direction of the kingdom. While waiting for him and the fulfilment of the kingdom at the fullness of time, let us live our lives in faith, hope and love. May we be inspired by the prophetic dream of Isaiah, the assurances of Paul and the call of John the Baptist to persevere in our Christian witness to the world.
