A REQUEST FOR A CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT. YEAR C.
December 17, 2006.
(First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18a) (Second Reading:Philippians 4:4-7)
(Gospel Reading: Luke 3:10-18)

A REQUEST FOR A
CHRISTMAS PRESENT.

As Christmas time approaches we may want to take the opportunity to consider what present we would like to receive on this occasion. The Gospel gives us an idea as to what might be of interest to us.

Many people came to John the Baptist asking him "what should we do" (Luke 3:10). The present they want from John is the knowledge about what to do. Our world could improve so much if everyone had the right answer as to what to do.

The answer to the question "What should I do?" requires first an understanding of the question "Who am I". Once I know who I am, then I would want to know what I should do. This Sunday's Scriptures address those two questions.

The question "Who are we" relates to our identity and to our belonging. Our identity is that of being "children of God" and our belonging is that of being "in God", or, as the Book of Zephaniah tells us: "The Lord, your God, is in your midst" (Zephaniah 3:17). In other words, we, human beings are children of God who live in a society wherein God also lives.

The question "What should we do" relates to how we conduct ourselves in the world in which we live in order to be what we are, in order not to denied what we are.

When the crowds and the specific groups of people came to John with the question "What should we do", his answer was two-fold:
1) To the crowds (that is, to all human beings without exception) John said: "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise" (Luke 3:11), in other words, John is reminding us that all the resources of the world belong to all the children of God.

2) To the tax collectors, to the soldiers (that is, to all the groups with specific roles in society) John tells them to fulfill their functions in accordance with their dignity of being children of God, who live amidst other children of God.

How Would John Respond Today?
If today's rich and poor were to come to John with the question: "Teacher, what should we do?", his answer would the same as in biblical times.
- To the rich, John would say: "Share your wealth with those who have none. Pay the worker the salary that belongs to him. Do not disposed the weak of what belongs to him. Do not use societal institutions to perpetuate injustice".

- To the poor, John would say: "Have the courage to stand up for your rights, seek that your fellow human beings respect your dignity of being children of God".

Our Worldly Institutions Are Unable to Give us Correct Answers.
When it comes to seeking answers about who we are and what we should do, we cannot rely on getting them from the world, from unjust societal institutions. For instance:

- In the area of the Law and the Judicial System, the Supreme Court cannot gives us any just answers about human life because the Supreme Court has legitimized abortion. Thus promoting death, not life.

- In the area of our economic system, our economic institutions cannot give us any just answers about sharing the resources of the world, because those institutions are designed to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.

- In the area of the means of mass communication, they (those who control them, of course) cannot give us any just answers about freedom of expression because the means of mass communication in our society only allow the formation and protection of a collective mentality and public opinion favorable to the status quo of domination by the powerful.

- In the area of human health care, our health care system (the groups that have control over it) cannot give any just answers about the equality of health care for all because said system is intent on turning health care into a lucrative economic commodity in order to obtain profits for a few at the expense of the wellbeing of the vast majorities.

Jesus has already heard our request.
As Christmas draws near, and as Saint Paul says, the time is here for us to "make our request known to God" (Pilippians 4:6) for the best Christmas present ever. Yes, the Lord Jesus has already heard our request to have the answers to the questions "who we are" and "what we should do". It is Jesus who reveals to us that we are truly children of God and that we truly belong in Him.

The Lord's Christmas present to us consists in allowing us to live as children of God, members of Christ. Let us make known our request to God.