Third Sunday of Advent

The first week of Advent, John’s message was “Stay awake!”  Be alert.  Change is in the air.  Last week, the message was “Repent!”  Make yourself ready.  Prepare the way of the Lord.  This week, we find John the Baptist crying out in the desert preparing for the real Christ, who was coming soon.  “Make straight the way of the Lord:” bringing justice into the world and making things right with God.

Every Sunday these last few weeks, scripture has drawn us closer and closer to Christ.  The image of the Savior that we find in today’s scriptures is the one anointed by God to send glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.  Yes.  This is the one we have been waiting for.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      It’s a breakthrough moment in the gospels – but it is for us a moment also of relief, and joy.  Everything that we have been waiting for and hoping for is about to be realized.  This is a Sunday to rejoice – and the ancient introductory rite for this Sunday declares: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!  The Lord is near!”  The Latin for rejoice is “Gaudete,” which is why we call this “Gaudete Sunday.”

This is a season of journeying.  On this third Sunday of Advent, we’re not that far from Bethlehem.  We are almost there.  Bethlehem is about 70 miles from Nazareth.  To put that in context, it’s about the same distance as from Seattle to Mount Vernon.  It may have taken them up to a week to get there, traveling on foot and donkey.  We can only imagine their relief as they got closer and closer to their destination, and they realized the trip was almost over.

But for us, I think, the sentiment is about more than just geography, more than a date on the calendar.  Bethlehem is not just as a point on the map, or a place in history.  It is where Christ comes into our world.  It is a crossroads of the human heart.  It is where hope is born.  A place of eternal possibility.  And we’re closer to it than we may realize.

In these last days of Advent, we need to remember that.  These are days that will be crazy, with parties to attend and gifts to wrap and cards to send.  There will be decorations to hang and notes to write and meals to prepare and cookies to bake and bags to pack and planes to catch.

But take time to pause, and to give thanks.  Take stock.  Take heed of all the messages God has sent us this Advent – to stay awake, to repent, to prepare the way of the Lord, to seek him in the desert.  And: take time to pinpoint the Bethlehem of your own heart.  That place that calls to each of us.

Bethlehem is waiting for us – even as we are waiting for it.  Even as we are waiting for Christ.  It is the destination at the end of our Advent wanderings – where we were always meant to be.  Spend these last few days quietly, joyfully anticipating Christmas.  Because we will be there before we know it.

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor