Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11 / 1 Thess 5:16-24 / John 1:6-8, 19-28
As we began the Mass, we lighted the third candle of the Advent wreath, which is the rose-colored candle.
It also signifies that the third Sunday of Advent is also called "Gaudete Sunday". "Gaudete" means rejoice.
Yes, the first reading tells us to exult for joy in the Lord and to rejoice in God.
The second reading also tells us to be happy at all times and to pray constantly.
Yes, a rose-coloured candle standing in the midst of three dark- purple candles tells us that life can have its joyful moments amidst disappointment and sadness and sorrow.
Similarly, life can also have its funny and surprising moments amidst the serious and stiffness of life, and I hope we can smile a bit from this following story.
From the shadows in the distance, the man watched as the family packed their bags in the car, locked the doors and then drove off for their holidays.
The man waited till it was dark and then he emerged from the shadows and he went to the front door and rang the door-bell of the house.
When there was no answer, the man, a seasoned burglar picked the lock of the front door and got in.
Then just to be sure that no one was in the house, he called out, "Is there anyone in?"
Hearing nothing, he was about to move on, when he was stunned by a voice, "I see you, and Johnny sees you!"
The burglar panicked and called out, "Who's that?"
And again, the voice came back, "I see you, and Johnny sees you!"
Terrified, the burglar switched on his torchlight and pointed it towards the direction of the voice.
He was relieved to see that it was a parrot in a cage and it recited once again, "I see you, and Johnny sees you!"
The burglar laughed to himself and said, "Oh, shut up stupid bird.
Anyway, who is this Johnny? Is it another bird friend of yours?"
And the parrot replied, "Johnny is right below me!"
And the burglar shined his torch at what was below the parrot's cage.
And there he saw Johnny, a huge Doberman, looking at the burglar with those eyes, and growling.
And then, the parrot said, "Go Johnny, go!"
Well, it is good to have a little laugh on this "Rejoice Sunday".
Back to something serious. In the gospel, we heard of a man sent by God, and his name was John.
So who is the John? Of course we know he is John the Baptist. But the gospel passage tells us more about who John is.
John is a witness, a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him.
And John would say this about himself: I am, as Isaiah prophesied – a voice that cries out in the wilderness: Make a straight path for the Lord.
That is who John is. And the next question would be – who are we then?
The 1st reading tells us that the Spirit of the Lord has been given to us, and that the Lord will make integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the nations.
So the Spirit of the Lord will make us into persons of integrity and walk the straight path of Lord so that God will be praised.
So what is integrity? Once upon a time, there was a selfish and greedy man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor.
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend’s house and told him that he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man.
As his friend’s daughter was coming back from an errand she found a bag that contained thirty gold coins.
When she arrived home, she told her father what she had found. The girl’s father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him.
When the selfish and greedy man arrived, he told him how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed them to him.
After counting the gold coins, the man said that ten of them were missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins.
He further demanded that he will recover the remaining amount from him. But of course the girl’s father refused.
The man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl’s father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived the judge asked the girl how many gold coins she found. She replied thirty gold coins.
The judge then asked the selfish man how many gold coins did he lose and he answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost.
And then the judge told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.
The judge then told the man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him.
It was then that the man confessed that he had lied and that he lost only thirty gold coins but the judge would not listen to him.
Just a story about integrity and honesty and that truth will prevail.
But that is also who we are and when we are who we should be, then we will truly rejoice in the Lord.
As the 2nd reading says – never try to suppress the Spirit; think before you do anything, hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil.
With that we will receive joy from the Lord and then the joy of the Lord will be our strength.