Rejoice in Love

READINGS: Zephaniah 3:14-18a  Philippians 4:4-7  Luke 3:1-6

For the first two weeks of Advent, we've been asked to examine ourselves from the inside out and recommit ourselves to Jesus, to God, and to each other.

This week, we are assured that our efforts are not in vain: that Jesus is real and present, and the grace we receive through Him can transform our lives so that we may transform the lives of others.

Zephaniah is one of the "minor prophets," and his structure follows much the same as Jeremiah and Baruch.  The first part of his book is again filled with condemnation and warning against both the people of Israel, and those outside Israel.  The second part features the promise of forgiveness, redemption, and a return to favor in God's eyes.

This is the week that says, "Enough doom and gloom."  No more visions of the apocalypse, no more scolding and admonishing.  If you have turned yourself to seek God, then this week welcomes you into the joy of His presence.

It's also important to see here that Zephaniah isn't just speaking of our own personal joy, but the joy of God Himself.  As a prophet, it's kind of his job to tell people, "God isn't too thrilled with you, right now."  It was mainly through this fear (and the consequences of it) that drove the people to repentance.  But now Zephaniah speaks of a different aspect of God: the God that takes great joy in us turning back to Him.

Think about the people closest to you, or even perhaps a past relationship or friendship.  Think about the ones you would do anything for.  Have they ever hurt or disappointed you, even if it wasn't their intention?  The pain caused by those closest to us cuts deeper than anything else.  In this way, we can imagine that for a God who loves us unconditionally, it hurts greatly when we stray from Him.

In the same way, think of the last time someone apologized to you, or perhaps you to another person. Remember the power of forgiveness and the weight that is lifted off your shoulders through the simple act of reconciliation.  Similarly, imagine God's joy when we put aside our pride and make an effort to re-pledge ourselves to Him.  Faith is very much a two-way street, and when we find joy in Christ, He rejoices in us.

Paul also invites us to rejoice (twice!)  We are told to "have no anxiety at all," because God will provide for what we really need.  The standout here is the way in which Paul implores us to ask for what we need: "prayer and petition, with thanksgiving."

Of course, we do this every Sunday at mass during the Prayer of the Faithful.  But I think that second part is often lost on us: thanksgiving.  Before we ask for what we need, we should first give thanks for what we have.

I'm often amazed at Thanksgiving when we gather with our friends and loved ones on a day that literally means "to give thanks" for each other and for what we have.  It's ironic that mere hours later, we are gathering in the pre-dawn darkness outside our favorite "big box" stores to get the best deals on things we didn't need until that very moment.

Most of us will receive some gift or other (probably more than one) this Christmas, but as we get older, we often realize that we enjoy the giving a lot more than the receiving.  That's because our focus has shifted.  A child asks for toys.  A teenager might ask for clothes.  But an adult who is self-sufficient can buy both those things for themselves.  So what do we ask for Christmas?

We ask for the joy of each other's company, for the silent acknowledgement of love, and we give thanks for the light of Christ that is recognized in each other.  Time is one thing no one can control, so it's important that we appreciate our time with each other when we have it.

Finally, in the Gospel of Luke, we have the continued prophesying of John the Baptist, only in a much more direct message.

John is giving very direct instructions to the many people looking to repent from their sins in light of the coming messiah.  This is really the start of the reformed teaching that Jesus would exemplify.  Rather than laying out another "book of the law" (i.e. Numbers, Deuteronomy), John starts simplifying this into less grand gestures, and Jesus would elaborate on much of it later.

Clothe the naked, feed the hungry, etc.  These are all very familiar to us, but while it should probably have been obvious to the people of John's time, it was common for people to think that if you prayed a certain way, tithed, and did all the things that were laid out in the Old Testament, you were good to go as far as getting God's spiritual stamp of approval.

John never mentions praying, never mentions sacrifices, never mentions anything of a remotely spiritual nature.  Rather, he talks about simple acts of kindness toward our neighbors.  It's a radical change from what the people of the time considered the norm.

My favorite interactions here are those of the tax collector and the soldiers.  Obviously, these are two occupations where it was common to see an abuse of power.  What's great about this is that you almost expect John to tell these two to find another profession.  He didn't do that -- probably as much to protect himself from political backlash as anything else.  But I think its important for us to realize that John doesn't ask us to change who we are, but rather, how we conduct ourselves.

To the tax collector, he says, "stop collecting more than what is prescribed" (and presumably pocketing the excess.)  To the soldiers, he basically exhorts them to be examples of the law they profess to uphold.

So, too, we are called to be examples of the Christ we profess to follow, not simply in our hearts, but in the way we live our lives.  We are invited to rejoice in love: our love of God, His love for us, and -- most importantly -- our love for each other.