Let advent be an advent! Perhaps, for some, this invitation to value the Advent season on the third Sunday of Advent could be a strange thing to listen to as the world around us has already begun celebrating Christmas. Many of us have joined Christmas parties, giving and receiving gifts. Hopefully, these joyful moments in Christmas parties with our friends and families or our satisfaction in giving and receiving gifts never take away the value of Advent season which is our preparation to welcome Jesus into our lives. Or I would invite us to make our Christmas parties a moment of longing for something more that cannot be found in material things but only in our encounter with Jesus who came, comes, and is coming to meet us.

The gospel for the third Sunday of Advent helps us to direct our attention to the Greatest gift that God is preparing for us. At the very first sentence of the gospel it says, A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light so that all might believe through him. God is preparing Himself before He offers His greatest gift. God sent John ahead of Him to tell us that the precious gift, the secret of our joy is coming. So, let us go to meet John in the desert and listen to what he says, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord. John the Baptist invites us to let God encounter us and walk with us in His way.

John’s life with his simplicity and humility became a little light that was enough to enlighten the people around him who lived in the darkness. John’s voice in the desert was powerful enough to speak to the hearts of his people and lead them toward conversion. Indeed, the little life of John was enough to give witness to the Light who is coming after him. John was satisfied with his mission to prepare people to fix their eyes on Jesus, the Light. As a prophet, John the Baptist spent his life in the desert to be with God and spread God’s words to others. Many people came to him, but he stayed humble in his mission to be a witness of Jesus. His life and mission were to prepare people to encounter Jesus, the Light, the truest joy.

Indeed, the secret of our joy in this Christmas time and lives is Jesus. Let us not miss this Greatest Gift from God. Don’t let the busyness of December distract us from what is most important, Jesus the true light, the source of our joy. Let us make all our Christmas parties, and our Christmas gifts as moments of rekindling the fire within us to welcome the Light, Jesus, the source of our joy. Let us keep praying with hope and joy, “Come, Lord Jesus. Halina Hesus! Advent invites us to slow down and go deeper so that our hearts will be ready when Christmas finally gets here. May this Christmas be a time of encounter with Jesus, our truest joy as Pope Francis rightly says, “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.”

This encounter with Jesus will lead us to bring light to others and spread the joy of the gospel. Sometimes the beautiful smile of a child or your friend can be a light that shines and comes into our life. Or perhaps the Light comes when we spend time with our friends and enjoy chatting, milk tea, coffee, and food. Or maybe you feel the presence of the light while you are taking care of your family that are sick, vulnerable, and dependent. Just feel it and hopefully, we know that we are walking in Light.

A little faith, hope, joy, and love that we have, will be added by Him who is coming to bring us light. May this encounter with the Light this Christmas rekindle the fire within us to claim again the words of Jesus, the Light, “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Merry Christmas