Third Sunday of Advent

By Fr. Bill Bowling – December 11, 2011

 
This reading from the gospel of Luke retells the timeless story of the birth of Jesus.  Here in the sanctuary of the Church we have the nativity scene to help us remember.  To remember that God became a little baby, was born of the virgin Mary.  He came into the world with a mission to save us from our sins.  To make us holy.  To help us become saints here on earth and in heaven forever.  This Christmas, let’s think about the people who were present at the birth of Jesus. 

First there was Mary and Joseph.  God revealed his plan to them.  Their response was obedience. Imagine their reaction to the awesome work of God through then.  God himself was physically present with them – and yet helpless as a little baby.  Imagine how they must have looked with love and adoration at Jesus after he was born. 

And then there were the shepherds and the angels.  The angels announced the good news to the shepherds.  And their response was obedience as well.  They departed right away in obedience to the message from the angels.    They made the sacrifice and traveled through the countryside in order to see Jesus.  They also must have looked on with great adoration at Jesus because of the awesome message from the angels.

These people who were present at the birth of Jesus offer us two great examples for us to consider.  The first is obedience.  The second is adoration.  Obedience and adoration.  These virtues are a great gift to us.  So let’s unwrap the gifts of obedience and adoration and take a look.

Obedience.  Obedience comes from the latin root ob audire.  It is a verb and it means – “to listen. Or to give ear to”  So the very idea of obedience comes from attentive listening.
Mary and Joseph and the shepherds all listened to God’s invitation.  They listened carefully.  Then they said “yes” to God.

So now I want to say that listening to God is a very important thing for us to think about this Christmas.  God wants to give us wonderful gifts this Christmas.  He asks us to listen to him very carefully. 

Now, if God had something important to say to us, then should we listen carefully?  Yes or yes?  Who would like to know how to listen better to God?  Raise your hand if you want this.

Well, the first decision is this.  Choose to want to listen.  Let’s tell ourselves:  “I want to listen to God.”   Make this a personal commitment.  God wants to give us wonderful gifts.  The gifts that come with his Holy Spirit.  So the first step.  Choose to want to listen.  And if we choose to want to listen then we will give time and space in our lives to make it happen.

Now that we have made the decision to listen to God I want to share with you three commitments we can make to open our ears to hearing God speak to us. 


1.    The first commitment is - attend Mass every Sunday.  Now, there are already two reactions to this one in the congregation.  The first is this – I already go.  Tell me something new.  The second is this – the last time I went the priest was boring, or said something I disagreed with, or I got totally distracted by that kid running in the aisle throwing cheerios, or that grouchy person said something mean to me, or…..you get the idea.  We can come up with lots of excuses.  But this not about the priest or the music or the kid or the grouch or any of those other things.  It is about God.  And if we make the commitment to Mass every Sunday with the desire to really listen to God then we will actually hear his messages to us.  So make this first commitment.  Mass every Sunday.  It is vital.

2.    The second commitment is - Pray to the Holy Spirit for inspiration.   Pray all during the week.  And then come to Mass early to pray some more.  Before Mass starts ask the Holy Spirit to give everybody here the message from the Mass that each person needs.  I will even make a guarantee:  Do this faithfully and Holy Spirit will speak to this church with powerful, life changing messages.  Somewhere during the Mass, in the reading or the homily or the songs or the prayers or in the silence, the Holy Spirit will provide the inspiration.  The light going off in our heads.  The message that will nourish us for the week.  The messages that will sustain us for a lifetime.  All we have to do is be here and ask.  So make this second commitment.  Pray to the Holy Spirit for inspiration.

3.    The third commitment – remember the messages.  This one is tough.  How many of us struggle with our memories.  Well, for the vast majority of us who get distracted and whose memories have sprung fatal leaks, we need to write it down so we don’t forget.  So a great little Christmas present this year is - a journal.  Write these little messages from Mass down in a journal.  Write these Holy Spirit inspirations down in order to remember them.  And I guarantee this - when we really start listening to God, we won’t wonder if that was it.  These messages that the Holy Spirit gives are divine and powerful.  They are simple and clear.  And when we remember them and write them down, over time we will marvel at how powerful and life-changing they are.  They are worth remembering.  So make this third commitment.  Remember the messages.

When we start paying attention to God’s inspirations during Mass, then we will make this next important discovery.  Mass changes from something strange or boring to something that becomes as important in life as food.  And food’s pretty important.  Try not eating for a week.  Spiritual food is even more important. 

Who wants more joy?  Then be like Mary and Joseph – come to Jesus.  Listen, and adore.

Who wants more peace?  Then be like the shepherds – come to Jesus.  Listen, and adore

Who wants to become holy?  Then become like the saints.  – come to Jesus.  Listen, and adore.

Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him. 
Christ the Lord.