First reading: Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11
Canticle: Luke 1:46-50,53-54
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Gospel: John 1:6-8,19-28

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
—¨in my God is the joy of my soul

Today we recall that Advent is more than a time set aside for penance. We recall that it is also a time that has been set aside for joy.

As we reflect on today’s readings and Gospel we recall John’s testimony to the Christ. John knew that the time was right, the moment was near. He did not know the exact place, the exact face, nor could he predict the moment of revelation, but he knew. Nevertheless he knew.

We too. We know that the time is near. When we reflect on John’s work as the herald for Christ, when we reflect on Jesus’ instruction to His disciples, we know that our message must be one of joy and of immanence. Our message is a living message. It exhibits itself in the way we gather, here in Church, and the way we live each and every day. Our message is a message of salvation. We are inching along, and we know, without knowing the exact place, the exactness of Christ’s face, nor the exact moment of the His ultimate revelation, that He is near.

Like John we have been commissioned as heralds. Our job as heralds is to proclaim this awesome message. We are to tell the world, and to spread that message joyfully. —¨Jesus is the way, truth, and life (John 14:6). That is not a message of sadness and dread. It is not a message of pain, fiery furnaces, and separation, but one of unity and fulfillment.

We all feel great when we hear Isaiah say:

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,—¨
because the LORD has anointed me;—¨
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
—¨to heal the brokenhearted,—¨
to proclaim liberty to the captives—¨
and release to the prisoners,—¨
to announce a year of favor from the LORD—¨
and a day of vindication by our God.—¨

Wow, wouldn’t that be wonderful. If only Isaiah or John were here today. If it would just happen…

Brothers and sisters,

You and I are the anointed. We are John and Isaiah in today’s world. Isaiah’s message is just as relevant today. The way John heralded its immanent reality is just as real today. We are to make the message of salvation real in the lives of our brothers and sisters, because the time is near. We are to be those things to the world. Our Christian duty, and obligation, is to bring glad tidings, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to all held captive — regardless of the type of captivity, and to announce an eternity of favor from God.

St. Paul prayed for the members of the Church at Thessalonica. In equal measure he prays for us. He knew that those who bear the name Christian can accomplish all these things. He knew that our dedication to spreading the joyful message of salvation in Jesus Christ would win over the world. Most of all, he knew that God would accomplish all this through us:

The one who calls you is faithful,—¨
and he will also accomplish it. —¨

My friends,

When we look at ourselves, what do we see? Do we see “the voice of one crying out in the desert?” We regard the PNCC as a small Church, and may see ourselves as a small parish in a small city. We believe that other Churches, whether they be of the Roman variety, or the humongous mega-churches we see on television, have what it takes to win over the world. Certainly they have their role in salvation history. But we must not regard, and pay deference to, demographics and statistics. If we do, we fail to understand the power of our mission and the adequacy of God’s grace. We are heralds for the very reasons laid out by St. Paul:

Test everything; retain what is good.—¨
Refrain from every kind of evil.—¨

Our Holy Church does just that. We have tested everything and have retained what is good, proper, and right. We retain, in our Holy Church, the fullness of Christ’s message — and what a powerful message. We are saved. By faith and by the reason God has endowed us with, we can make the ascent to Christ. We can meet Him and walk with Him. Lives are changed because of Him.

Our message is a joyful message because it describes God and man in a relationship. It tells of God living among us, part of our history, part of our timeline, part of our daily life. There is no moment that escapes His loving care. Even in the midst of sin, He is there to call us back. Even in the midst of poverty, He makes us rich. Even in the midst of sorrow, He is there to lift us up. Even in prison, He is there to set us free.

He is there because we are there. We can make all these things real. We have His Holy Spirit which empowers and guides us. Knowing all that, knowing He is here, that we are his heralds, and that we have a message of great joy, we can say, along with Mary: My soul rejoices in my God.

Our souls rejoice in God. Let us set to work. May our work and our lives herald the Lord. May we bear the message of joy, of salvation in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.