3rd Sunday of Advent
Year C (Gaudate Sunday).
First Reading
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Second Reading
Philippians 4:4-7
Gospel
Luke 3:10-18
THEME: REJOICE, I REPEAT REJOICE.
Why are all the readings asking
us to rejoice? Even the second reading repeated it, why? It is because of the
importance of the joy that is to come that all the readings are now asking us
to rejoice. Igbos will say, oke ehi dobie, oke mmadu achuwa ya. The greatest
plan of God for man after his fall is about to take place and that is why we
should rejoice. Our salvation is assured and it is a great thing that calls for
joy.
The three reading are preparing
us for the coming of our saviour Jesus Christ who will be born to us to save us
from sin death and to bring us back into life which we lost through our first
parents when they fell (Genesis 3). The first reading made us to understand
that the Lord has remembered us, the second reading is telling us that our saviour
is at hand and that is why we should rejoice and the gospel has come to make us
know the way we are to prepare to welcome our saviour. Continue Reading.....................................
This joy we are talking about is
not a selfish joy that one has when he/she sees his/her neighbour suffering. It
is not a joy that one enjoys his/her things alone when there are people that
need a little of that. It is not a joy that you have gained so much and your
neighbour has gotten nothing. It is not a joy that your children are doing well
but other persons’ children are not doing well or have not reached the level of
your own children. There was a woman from my place. Her children made it in
life on time. Every Christmas, they come back with bags of food. When they go
back, the woman will start sharing them out to people who have not or enough to
eat. When she calls her children to complain that she has no food again, they
will be surprised for they bought things for her in bags. When they asked her
how come all have finished, she always answered them, “kedu ebe ebu uwa aga,
ekesala mu ya” (where are we carrying this world to, I have shared them out).
Another woman, my neighbour, when her children comes back with a bag of rice,
she will hid it under her bed. She will continue to eat it till it gets spoilt
for she did not keep it well and she will go and bury the spoilt ones.
John is preaching to us today the
extension of joy like the first woman in the story above. We have to share
whatever we have with people who do not have and the joy of waiting for the
saviour will be complete. John said, “Whoever has two cloths should share with
the person who do not has none”. Some have cloths that have been on their
hanger for year without wearing them and they cannot give out, it is against
the joy. Some after sometimes, they bring them out to burn them when there are
those who need them. It is not the way we shall rejoice. You are doing
Christmas clean up and that is why you are burning cloths and shoes that
another would have used. You have spoiled the show. John again said, “And
whoever has food should do likewise”. Where did you allow your yams to rout in
your store or barn when you have people around you who will never forget you if
you had fed them with those yams. Different type of soup spoil in your deep
freezer and there are people dying of hunger. It is not a mark of Christianity.
Some are taking their children to the most expensive shops and supermarkets to
buy Christmas things for them when you would have moderated it to use it and
buy for that your poor neighbour’s child or children or as well take them also
to that place and buy for them. Some do not buy good cloths for their house
helpers but their children wear gold as cloths. This is not the way of
rejoicing for the Lord is coming. Rejoice, I repeat, rejoice for the Lord is at
hand. Make the joy to go viral and you will forever be joyful. THANKS AND HAPPY
SUNDAY.
No comments:
Post a Comment