3rd Sunday of Advent Year A Gaudate Sunday. By Tobe Eze

3rd Sunday of Advent Year A Gaudate Sunday.

FIRST READING Isaiah 35:1—6a, 10

SECOND READING
James 5:7—10

GOSPEL
Matthew 11:2—11

THEME: BE PATIENT, HE IS COMING WITH JOY.

Because of the joy he will bring to us, the Holy Mother Church named today GAUDATE SUNDAY. The name "Gaudete Sunday" is taken from the words of the introit, Gaudete in Domino semper, "rejoice in the Lord always." The Scriptural basis for this Sunday comes from Philippians 4:4,5. Similar to Laetare Sunday during Lent, Gaudete Sunday is a minor "break" from the more penitential nature of the Advent season, and signals a shift from a penitential style of waiting to a more joyful tone. In the past, when organs and flowers were forbidden during the Advent Season, they were permitted during Gaudete Sunday. Because of the more joyful tone of Gaudete Sunday, rose colored (pink) vestments may be used instead of the normal violet ones. Also, the rose colored Advent candle is lit. Continue Reading

So gaining the joyous nature of this Sunday, we have to wait for him with a patient heart. The problem many of us are into these days are caused by our impatient nature. Our God is not and will never be a God of magic. In the first reading, the type of joy and happiness he will bring is foreseen “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Everything that lives and that breathe will rejoice in him. If we know all these, why do we jump from one tree to another? (Esi bee oke aga bee ogini, esikwa ebe ahụ aga be ọkụkọ). Is it by jumping like this that we will get the joy of his coming? The second reading tells us to be patient. If we have been waiting for him in patient and stopped trusting in all these confused men and women of God, things would have been better for us. The truth remains that we use the type of spirit we were using before our conversion in practicing paganism to also worship God. Anything that happens must be caused by our enemy and therefore we should go and see a man or woman of God or even men or women of God. From this one to another. In paganism one something happens you go and consult the Oracle to know is the person that caused it, because they know certainly that it is caused by the enemy. But our Christianity is not in that way. God knows whatever situation we are passing through, if we worship him with all our hearts, mind, body and soul, he will never desert us. He is always there for us but the problem is that we do not recognize him in our lives. This is partially what happened in today’s Gospel. John the Baptist did not recognize Jesus and he sent his own apostles to Jesus to know if really he is the one. He was expecting Jesus to come and save him when he was arrested but Jesus withdrew from that whole area. Then developed a doubting spirit, Are you sure he is the one that I have been talking about? For this doubting spirit, the least in heaven became automatically greater than him despite he is the greatest among all born of woman. In John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled believe in God, believe also in me. In John 14:14 “Anything you ask in my name will be given to you, John 10:10b I have come to give you life, life in abundance. The ball is on our court. We have to wait for him with a patient heart and we will reap from the joy that he is coming with. HE GIVES JOY TO EVERY SITUATION trust in him and praise him still. HE IS COMING WITH JOY. As you prepare for Christmas remember Psalm 127: 1 Except the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the Watchman wakes but in vain. (Ọ buru na Chineke ewughi ulo, N'efu ka ha dọb͕uworo onwe-ha n'ọlu nime ya, bú ndi nēwu ya: Ọ buru na Chineke echeghi obodo, N'efu ka onye-nche muruworo anya.) SO THAT WE WILL ENJOY HIS JOY. HAPPY SUNDAY

To see more http://tobeeze.blogspot.com