3rd Sunday of Advent 12 December 2021 Gaudete
The Lord is near. If so, then how can we worry? If you are in a castle and there are ten thousand soldiers attacking but you have the most powerful general standing next to you then you feel confident.
The Lord is lord of all and can easily overcome any opposition.
We say this, but still probably do not feel it to be certain.
We need to be more familiar with Our Lord. This will bring us to greater faith, more acceptance of God's commands, and above all, charity.
It is in God's nature to bless, to heal, to transform, to improve things. What is wrong can be set right; what is good can be made better.
It takes time if we are to discover the depths of what is possible.
Otherwise, we are too busy panicking and worrying - which is what happens if we are looking only at the externals.
We need to cultivate the worship of God to the point that it springs spontaneously from the heart.
Think of prayer as time spent with one we love. We do not begrudge that time. cf young lovers.
We need to discover the spark, so that our faith is not just a few concepts and commands.
It will come if we pray, and if we make some necessary adjustments to our lives – such as doing penance, and avoiding occasion of sin. If we do these things God will enliven our faith, and with that will come trust, and joy.
To say that prayer does not ‘work’ is self-fulfilling. If we do not pray, indeed nothing will happen.
But if we give God the space and the time to get through to us, then we will see miracles.
Have I been with you all this time (Jn 14,9) ?
The apostles saw so many miracles but still doubted at every new development. It just shows how hard it can be; but it is also manageable.
By contrast, we find in Our Lady and St Joseph a much stronger response to God's mysterious will.
They were more adapted to God's ways and therefore made a more spontaneous response in trust whenever something difficult emerged.
The way forward is to know God better, to become more familiar with His way of operating.
We may not like some things that God does, or allows to happen. But we can take comfort in the overall plan. Everything finds a place. Even when things happen that God does not want, He can rework it to the best possible outcome.
Trust will come with practice, and experience.
But if we give up too easily we will never progress, and will not be rejoicing in God's closeness.
God wants people to believe in Him, to be at home with the miraculous.
Before He comes He wants His people to understand these things.
He does not want most of the human race ignoring him, as we have now.
We atone for this general ignoring of God and His will. We give God the humble attention that He deserves from us.
If others curse we will bless; if they complain we will praise; if they give up we persevere.
The only way to make sense of this universe is to acknowledge, and be on good terms with the One who put it all in place.
This we do, on Gaudete Sunday - we rejoice.
May God bless His people, and sustain us at all times.
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