Called to Be a Source of God's Joy
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December 13, 2025We are now in the Third Sunday of Advent which is also called "Gaudete Sunday." Gaudete means rejoice or praise, this ushers us to the midpoint towards the celebration of the birth of Jesus and nearer to his Second Coming more than ever and so we are invited to have a rejoicing heart "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
After we have heard St. John the Baptist last Sunday reminding us about repentance and making straight the path, we heard him again today, imprisoned but still pointing out the coming of the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation. He is esteemed as the precursor of ChristJesus preparing his path. Jesus in turn exulted him saying, "Among those born of women, there has been none greater than John the Baptist." Yet, as the precursor of the Lord, he has been always pointing towards Jesus and so once he said, "I must decrease and He must increase." (John 3:30) A reminder that no matter how great our mission or work is, no matter how high our position would be, in humility, we always point to Jesus.None is greater than John the Baptist Jesus said but that statement did not stop right there, Jesus has continued by saying, "yet, the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Who can be greater than he?
Like St. John the Baptist, we have a share in the mission of spreading the Good News to one another. But unlike St. John the Baptist, who, at his imprisonment sent his disciples to inquire if Jesus was the "one who is to come or should we look for another?" We have the privilege not just to hear about him or even point out the way to him but have the grace to receive him in his most precious body and blood in the Eucharist. We just don't receive him, but we have the duty as well to share him with others. We are least in the Kingdom of heaven, yet, our greatness can surpass that of St. John the Baptist if we, in humility become the source of God's blessing to others not with a prideful boasting but humble rejoicing, not because we are more privilege than him but because of the grace ofGod bestowed upon us. St. Teresa of Avila once said,"Christ has no body on earth now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the earth. Yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.î
Each of us is challenged to be greater than a prophet, than the precursor, John the Baptist in responding and getting involve with our mission to share Jesus to others.We have received him and continue to dwell in us as we become the source of joy to others. In mass, we receive him in the Word proclaimed and in the humble bread and wine turning to his body and blood and has become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us point others to him and bring him to others, let us be the source of joy, let us be the source of rejoicing!