December 15: Not Ready? No Problem!

Third Sunday of Advent

While Advent is a beautiful time to prepare for the coming of the Lord, we often get so caught up in all the things we do to prepare for Christmas that we forget Advent all together. The readings remind us that in spite of the stress we may feel thinking about how close Christmas is, we are called to rejoice for the Lord is near.

The stress we feel may be from fear: Fear that I won’t get the shopping done by Christmas, fear that people won’t like the gifts I bought, or fear that I forgot someone that should be on my list. But did you ever notice how much easier it is when you have someone to shop with you, or write the Christmas cards, or decorate the tree? “Shout for joy…fear not!” says the prophet Zephaniah in the first reading. (Zeph 3:14) He tells us the Lord is not coming to punish us for waiting till the last minute to put up the tree. The prophet says the Lord is in our midst, we are not alone. “He has turned away your enemies” (Zeph 3:15), enemies like fear, doubts, and loneliness.

And as if that wasn’t good enough, he says that the Lord rejoices over us! How many times have you wondered if you could ask the Lord for help? Zephaniah reminds us that the Lord is happy to help. And St. Paul says the same thing in the second reading: “Have no anxiety at all…make your requests known to God.” (Phil 4:6) That is where Advent comes in. We can look forward to the Lord’s presence in our lives. We can be confident of his love for us. That is why faith and hope are central to the theme of Advent. Our faith in God’s love for us gives us hope that he will support us in our weakness and fill us with the joy he has over us.

Tom Schmidt