Reflection by Rev. Leonard N. Peterson
Fans of TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will have no problem imagining the opening fanfare of the Twentieth Century Fox studio productions. The theme is complete with trumpets and searchlight beams reflecting off the call letters. If that scene doesn’t resonate with you, then consider instead the NFL (National Football League) theme song heard on most Sunday afternoons in the Fall. Whenever I read St. Luke’s opening sentence about the arrival of St. John the Baptist and his message about the Messiah, Jesus Christ I hear the Fox theme for sure. As we believers know, the announcement heralds what will prove to be an earth-shattering event. It will have far-reaching consequences for John’s world and still has them for our own.
As the commercial world around, us hypes up its preparation for Christmas, already begun last July, the Church asks us to do something different. It wants us to be quiet; slow down and take at least a little time each day of Advent to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate Christ’s first coming. The bible tells us it will not take place with pounding drums and clashing cymbals, but with hushed silence until we hear a tiny infant cry on a Bethlehem night.
I realize that the Church’s Advent plea for some extra prayer and a little preparatory penance is tough to do. What with shopping, decorating, baking and required partying all crammed into 24 days, slowing down seems next to impossible. But then we are called to be different from the world as Christians, are we not?
So, we should try when we can, perhaps in the morning, or when the house quiets down at night, to light an Advent wreath candle, and think about the seasonal Scriptures. That should lead us to pray in wonder at the love of God for us that that brought Him down to earth in the nick of time. What follows is more than just a relaxed heartbeat. We regain our composure. We recharge our patience with all that’s going on. We appreciate our young ones and are less likely to snap at our older ones. We avoid nasty behavior toward restaurant servers, harried store clerks and fellow drivers. We can exude joy rather than jumpiness in our preparations. After all, joy is what Christmas is about.
We read today of the joy offered to the exiled Jewish ancestors of Christ as they are finally released and able to return home. We also hear it in St. Paul’s words to his Philippian community. And certainly, it resounds in Luke’s notable opening announcement.
Certainly, the Blessed Mother felt joy deep in her heart as she had nine months to reflect on what Archangel Gabriel had told her about her baby. The calendar compels us to celebrate her faith and humility in an Immaculate Conception feast day moved to tomorrow.
For all of us, her children, I offer the best “spelling” of joy that I ever heard from a preacher that offered it long ago: “J” is for Jesus. “Y” is for you, and the “O” is for nothing in between.
God love you, and experience true joy.
Rev. Peterson’s Reading & Gospel Summary
Reading I: Baruch 5: 1-9
The setting here is the ceremony whereby Jerusalem mourns her lost children while in exile. The speaker offers hope and comfort because they are still the Lord’s people. He will lead them in joy out of their captivity.
Reading II: Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
The community has a share in the joy of the gospel through their conversion, and their support of the Apostle. They have good standing with the Lord that comes through Christ.
The Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6
The story of the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry as prophet opens with a list of the major rulers at the time. St. Luke uses this to illustrate that John’s announcement of the Messiah will have worldwide impact.