Zephaniah 3:15

Zephaniah 3:16

Zephaniah 3:17

Isaiah 12:6

Philippians 4:6

Philippians 4:4

Luke 3:15

Luke 3:18

In our readings this weekend on this Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday we are getting closer in our waiting for the coming of Christ, both in our remembrance of Christ’s birth and as time moves on, closer to Christ’s coming again.  Our readings are filled with comforting messages confidently assuring us that God’s promises will be fulfilled. They are welcomed messages for us in the every day stress we carry as we get closer to our Christmas celebrations with our families and friends.  The messages we hear this weekend are not only comforting, but also invite us to think about the power of God. It is a good time to ask ourselves, as we await the celebration of the birth of a humble baby in the manger, if we really have reflected on the power of God – both a human just like us in Christ Jesus and also a mighty savior, the great and Holy One of Israel. Do we really trust and have no fear or anxiety?  Any one of the passages above (taken from our selection of readings this weekend) could be a mantra for our prayer this week, repeated over and over again in meditative reflection as we consider the mighty power of God that really makes a difference in our lives right now.

In our Gospel, John has just preached a pretty frightening message about repentance when the people ask him, “What are we to do?” How convincing his message must have been for these different groups of people to wonder this. John’s response is particular to each person – and what he asks of them is to improve what they are doing in their everyday interactions. Basically, he tells them to become a better person at what they are already doing. Perhaps that is what recognizing the power of God in our lives allows us to do: become a better person at what we are already doing. As St. Mother Teresa says, “Do small things with great love.”  John the Baptist’s audience gets filled with expectation when they consider the possibility of changing their lives. It is Good News to them that they can do something in response to the power of God in their lives.