This weekend, we celebrate what is traditionally known as “Gaudete” Sunday, a time of joy, anticipation and hope, reminding us that Christmas is near. I imagine many of you are now caught up in the joy of the season, but are our hearts filled with joy of the good news that John proclaims?
The first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah is a song of joy. We heard, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.” In the responsorial psalm, we heard Mary proclaim, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Paul urges us to rejoice always and pray without ceasing.
This joy is the result of God’s love and care for the human family. God’s unconditional love brings freedom, justice and peace to all, especially the poor, the suffering and the forgotten ones. Yes, rejoicing is the message we hear today.
There once lived an old man in New Guinea who rejoiced in the message we just heard. He made his living by cutting firewood for the local hospital. Everybody called him One Tooth, because his upper jaw contained only one tooth. Besides cutting firewood, One Tooth spent time each day reading the Gospel to patients sitting in the hospital waiting room. Day after day he shared his faith in Jesus with them.
One day, the old man noticed that he was having trouble reading. When the problem persisted, he went to see the doctor who told him, “I have some sad news for you. You are going blind and there is nothing we can do for you.” One Tooth exclaimed, “Oh no! I’m already old. Now I’ll be blind and useless too.”
The next day, One Tooth didn’t show up at the hospital nor did he show up the day after that. He had vanished and no one knew where he was. Later, the doctor learned that One Tooth was living alone in a deserted part of the island. A boy who brought the old man food told the doctor where he was living, so the doctor went to see One Tooth.
“What are you doing here?” the doctor asked. One Tooth replied, “Ever since you told me I was going blind, I’ve been memorizing the most important parts of the gospel. I’ve already memorized Jesus’ birth, several of his miracles and parables, and his death and resurrection. I’ve been repeating these over and over to the boy to make sure I’ve got them right. In about a week, I’ll be back at the hospital again telling the patients about Jesus.”
I couldn’t resist sharing that story for One Tooth personified the opening line from Isaiah, “The spirit of the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly.” That same spirit came upon One Tooth who then felt the call to bring the good news to the patients in the waiting room. He certainly didn’t stifle the spirit. Even in the face of going blind, he did what he could to let the Spirit speak through him to those nearby.
If One Tooth could do that, why not us? Do we share with others the joy that Jesus Christ brings into our lives? Maybe you are thinking, “But isn’t that your job, Father?” Actually, sharing the good news is every Christian’s mission in life.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you as well as me. We have all been anointed to bring the glad tidings of Jesus to the lowly. Like John the Baptist and One Tooth, we must proclaim God’s word to others by what we say and do.
Advent reminds us that as the Church, we exist, as John did, to be a voice in the world announcing the coming of Jesus. We often forget that. We get bogged down in our own concerns or issues that we might be having with the Church or our parish. But Advent asks us, “As a result, are you forgetting that you are a voice too, perhaps the only voice someone will hear, which announces the coming of Jesus?
The joy of Advent comes from striving to follow the wisdom of Isaiah’s mission. When Isaiah speaks of the lowly, he is speaking of those who are spiritually poor, not those in poverty. We live in one of the most unchurched states in our country, so the odds are, you know someone who has yet to experience the same joy you find in Jesus Christ. Have you ever thought to personally invite that person to discover firsthand the joy of knowing Christ and what it means to you to follow him as a Catholic?
Look around. Some once familiar faces are now missing. Perhaps they have gone south for the winter but if you know they haven’t, why not tell them that you miss their presence? Many who drift away from coming to Mass return because a friend or a relative invited them to come back. Like a youngster gleefully sharing a secret, you are most apt to find yourself rejoicing by sharing the good news of Jesus then by keeping it to yourself.
Some of us are hesitant to do that but we can still find discrete ways to share our faith. For example, many Christmas cards give no hint of whose birthday we are celebrating as they wish us “season’s greetings” or “happy holidays.” With cards that proclaim the good news that Jesus is the reason for the season, we can remind others of the joy, peace and holiness that Christ brings into our lives.
Like John the Baptist and One Tooth, we witness to someone far greater than us. The world will be a brighter place for others if we would dare to share the light of Christ.