Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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A man was driving down the highway, when his cell phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's frantic voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on I-77. Please be careful!" "Heck," said Herman, "It's not just one car going the wrong way on this road. It's hundreds of them!"
I thought that it would be good to start my reflection on Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of joy, with a smile. Hiding between the lines of this joke is the serious realization that sometimes we need to change direction.
Many in the crowd, a few tax collectors, and some soldiers had taken to heart the message of John the Baptist: “Repent.” They wanted to change direction. They wanted to change the direction of their lives. After their decision to repent of their past and change from their former way of life, they asked the natural question: “What should we do?”
After making a decision to break from the past, the question became, “Now what?”
John the Baptist gave some practical advice. He told the repentant crowd to give extra clothing to the poor and feed them. To the repentant tax collectors, he said not to take more from people than what is expected. To the repentant soldiers he said not to steal from or lie about others. And he finished with the statement, “Be satisfied with your wages.” Which, I take to mean, be thankful for what you have before you begin to complain about what you don’t have. Not bad advice for people who are starting out as newly forgiven sinners looking for a way to holiness.
We should ask the same question. If we believe in God, if we have been redeemed by Jesus, “What should we do?”
On this Third Sunday of Advent we reflect on our belief that the Lord is near to us. We should live as though we believe it. And what is the sign that we are living the life of a redeemed Christian? It is our joy! St. Paul says it this way, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all . . . Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).
What should we do? We should live what we believe. We should become more like Christ who stands with us, lives within us, and promises to come for us. We should strive for holiness. The Lord is near! He is mightier than any one of us, or all of us put together. We should be thankful. We should rejoice. Then, we can serve the Lord with gladness.
Going the wrong way can have disastrous consequences. Let’s follow the only way that leads to happiness and eternal security. The way is Jesus himself!
Have a blessed week everyone.