“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”
3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT
 December 15, 2024
Zephaniah 3: 14-18; Psalm 12;
Philippians 4: 4-7; Luke 3: 10-18
by Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

 

John the Baptist must have been an incredible preacher! His message draws large crowds of people, so many that they leave behind their daily routines and go out into the desert to hear him. There’s no fancy pulpit, no grand arena, no spotlight. Just a man aflame with the Spirit of God, speaking on God’s behalf, and his hearers catch the flame, moved by his zeal. “Now all the people were filled with expectation...”

They ask, “Teacher, what shall we do?” Isn't this often our question too? They don’t ask, “What should we feel? Or think?” There is no dogma, just a simple, urgent question: “What should we do?” This could be the question we bring with us to Mass today. It sounds like the people are ready to do anything to catch the flame burning in John’s heart, to share in his trust that God is about to act on their behalf.

John's response is striking: he doesn't ask people to leave their homes or abandon their families and work. He doesn’t demand any Herculean task, but simply calls them to live their daily lives with integrity and concern for others. If we are to welcome the Christ child at Christmas, we too must face what hinders our openness to Him and what dampens our welcome. We could ask the same question the crowds asked John: "What should we do?" The issue is not what to think or feel but what to do. The imminent coming of the Messiah demands action, now—not later.

To those with abundance, John says, “Whoever has two cloaks, should share with the person who has none.” To tax collectors, who were often corrupt and in league with the oppressors, he instructs, “Don’t collect more than what is prescribed.” To the soldiers, who held power over the people, he warns, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

John directs our attention to the ordinary aspects of our lives and asks us to live them well. Holiness is found in the everyday:

These are lifelong commitments and the demands of daily life. John is proposing an everyday morality—within reach of everyone, no matter their role or occupation. It’s often harder to be faithful in the mundane aspects of life than to perform a single heroic act.

When we expect a guest, we prepare the house—cleaning, straightening things up. We make the space ready, but we can't make the guest come. They arrive when they arrive, and our preparation only makes us ready for them. Similarly, the daily preparations John calls for in our lives heighten our anticipation for Christ’s coming. It keeps us alert. It expresses our hope that, right now, Jesus will enter our lives, renew what is tired and routine, and transform it.

Advent is our time to prepare—not for the baby in the crib, but for the adult Christ who will come again. Jesus invites us to enter a new kind of community, a new way of living in the world. He will teach and enable us to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

This Kingdom starts now, here, and has visible signs of His presence. We know He’s near because in this community, each person is treasured. There are no outsiders, no one pushed to the back of the line because of their gender, nationality, race, or sexual orientation. The Kingdom of God sees and addresses the needs of the vulnerable, welcoming everyone as beautiful creations of God.

The adult Christ has come, and He continues to enter our lives each day, inviting us to recommit to His community, His way of life, His vision. It’s heroic to remain faithful to the daily routine of life as members of His Kingdom, living as He taught. Our presence here today in worship shows that we want to be loyal citizens in God’s realm. This Advent, we ask for the grace to do just that. We listen to what John the Baptist announces to us: When Christ enters our lives anew, He comes with a purifying fire and a life-giving Spirit. Our Advent prayer is, “Come, Spirit of Jesus.”

I came across this quote: “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” John the Baptist and Jesus were like that. In Advent, we pause and listen with our hearts. We pray, “Let the footprints they leave on us be renewed.”

 

Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121524.cfm