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Word To Life
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Sunday Scripture Readings: Dec. 17, 2006
By Sharon K. Perkins
Catholic News Service
December 17, Third Sunday of Advent
Cycle C Readings:
1)Zephaniah 3:14-18
Psalm, Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
2)Philippians 4:4-7
3) Gospel: Luke 3:10-18
As a mother of three children, my annual Christmas preparation tasks-- baking, decorating, shopping and wrapping -- are done with them in mind. Even though the eldest is now 21, I still make their favorite cookies, fill their shoes on St. Nicholas Eve and generally try to derive maximum delight from limited time and budget. It makes for a busy holiday, but bringing them joy is rewarding work that I look forward to each year.
But I remember that as a child my primary "work" of Christmas preparation was to be on my best behavior. It was drilled into children of my generation through songs, folklore and movies that Santa's bounty was somehow directly related to our conduct ("He knows if you've been bad or good!"). Thus the heightened anticipation of Christmas morning also carried a message of vigilance and added incentive to "be good."
One could read today's passages from Scripture in a similar fashion. If Advent is preparation for the Lord's coming, then it stands to reason that our behavior should reflect our anticipation. Therefore, St. Paul can rightly admonish the Philippian community to make their kindness visible to all, and John the Baptizer can advise tax collectors to stop cheating their clients, because the coming of the Lord is imminent.
But I think another, more profound way for Christians to read these passages is to assume that the Lord isn't simply hiding in the wings, waiting for us to come to our senses and straighten out our lives before he makes his appearance. The Lord -- in the crucified and risen person of Jesus -- is already here. His "advent," or arrival, is made visible to others precisely in our acts of kindness and generosity.
It's because of his nearness that we can overcome our isolation from one another. It's his self-giving, already present, that conquers our self-centeredness. His light is already peeking under the drawn shutters of our complacency.
The church's celebration of Advent, heightened in this third week of Gaudete Sunday, reminds us to "rejoice" not only in what God will do, but in what God already has done in Christ. Christian discipleship is not a "future rewards" program for good behavior. It is an imperfect yet real manifestation of Christ's power and presence in our lives.
QUESTIONS:
How have you acted as if Christ's coming is still far off? How can his nearness become more visible to those around you during this time of holiday preparations?
SCRIPTURE TO BE ILLUSTRATED:
"Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5).
END
Copyright © 2006 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS Word To Life column may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service.
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