WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Reflections on the Third Sunday of Advent (Zephaniah 3:14-18a, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18)

“What should we do?”, the crowds ask John the Baptist. The Tax collectors demand, “Teacher, what should we do?”. And the soldiers inquire too, “And what is it that we should do?”. Interestingly, this question also echoes throughout the New Testament. An expert of the law (Luke 10:25) and a certain ruler (Luke 18:18) ask, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”. At Pentecost, in response to the preaching of Peter, those gathered inquire, “Brothers, what should we do?” (Acts 2:37). The jailor of the Philippi prison interrogates Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). When interrupted by Jesus on the way to Damascus, Paul inquires, “What am I to do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10). On this Third Sunday of Advent, popularly known as the Gaudete (rejoicing) Sunday, the liturgy inspires us to ask this popular biblical question, what must we do to experience the joy of advent?

The first reading, an excerpt from Zephaniah chapter 3, recalls the prophet’s call to rejoice, which is in indeed a puzzling one. While people were being deported to Babylon, he dares to invite them to rejoice in anticipation of their liberation! The opening lines of the chapter present a not-so-positive evaluation of the city and its people. Jerusalem is called a rebellious, polluted, and tyrannical city, which listens to no voice, accepts no correction, and refuses to trust the Lord or draw near to him. Its officials are compared to roaring lions and judges to boneless desert wolves. The prophets are reckless, people are treacherous, and the Priests profane what is holy and violate the law. With a devastated Jerusalem in the background, Zephaniah calls them to exult about the future restoration of the city’s glory.

How does one exult or rejoice in the thick of turmoil? Is the prophet’s call merely wishful thinking? No, it is a call to a revolutionary vision of joy. Zephaniah calls them to rejoice in advance at the future but sure redemption. In the midst of their turmoil, corruption, and distress, the people of God are invited to realise that their future is not determined by their present failures or their past sins. This is what theologians call eschatological anticipation. It is possible to experience the promised joy here and now, regardless of our past or present. Zephaniah’s call to rejoice is a call to defy pessimism, fatalism, and determinism. No matter our wounds, sufferings, and scandals, what we were or was does not definitively determine what we are called to become.

In the second reading, Paul invites us again to rejoice. This letter to the Philippians is essentially a letter of joy which extends a similar revolutionary call to rejoice in difficult times. The word joy is mentioned 12 times in the letter (1:4,8,&25; 2:2,17,18,28,&29: 3:1; 4:1,4,&10). Ironically, the content of the letter and its context seem both depressing and intense. Paul speaks about his captivity, suffering, adversaries, humiliations, experience of poverty and hunger, risk of a fatal outcome to his trial, fragility and risks, serious illness of a close collaborator, conflicts within the community, etc., It is as dark as it gets. Yet, this is not a sad letter. Paul’s call to rejoice is genuine even if the situation doesn’t seem to warrant it.

This Rejoicing Sunday (Gaudete), the liturgy challenges us to embrace this revolutionary call to rejoice. It invites us to experience ‘in advance’ the joy of our redemption from the oppressive chains of our past and the darkness of our present troubles. So what should we do? The liturgy provides us three insightful indicators:

1. We are called to realise that our anticipated experience of the joy is firmly rooted in our hope in the liberation, salvation, and redemption that the Lord’s coming is sure to accomplish in our personal and common histories (first reading);

2. We are called to experience joy in an attitude of prayer, petition, thanksgiving, and intercession, which keeps our hearts and minds in constant communion with the Lord and enables the experience of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (second reading); and

3. We are invited to respond to the call to rejoice by embracing conversion and the challenge to change our ways. John the Baptist insists that preparing for God’s advent is not possible without practising justice, charity, and honesty. He invites the crowd to share what they have, the tax collectors to give up injustice and the soldiers to stop abusing the power of their office.

This Sunday, let us rejoice in hope of the Lord’s coming, with an attitude of prayer, and genuine repentance.