HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Dec 14, 2025

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (35:1-6a, 10)

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lamp leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10)

(R) Lord, come and save us.

The Lord God keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free. (R)

The Lord gives sight to the blind; the Lord raises up those who were bowed down. The Lord loves the just; the Lord protects strangers. (R)

The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint James (5:7-10)

Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (11:2-11)

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; He will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

There is a children's fantasy drama film based on the novel of the same title called "The Secret Garden." It tells the story of a bad-tempered, selfish, lonely and sad 10-year-old girl, named Mary Lennox who becomes orphaned after her parents' death in India and is sent to live with her uncle on his estate in England but is forbidden to roam around the estate. However, one day Mary ventures out and discovers a secret garden, neglected, overgrown, and hidden for years. She immediately sets out to restore the garden to its former glory. As she works in the garden - clearing the weeds, planting new flowers, and tending the soil-something begins to change, not just in the garden but within her. The place that was once silent and dead begins to bloom. And as it comes alive, so does she. She becomes kinder, happier, more considerate, and outgoing. The secret garden becomes more than a patch of land. It becomes her sanctuary, a place where healing and transformation happen, where burdens are lifted, where joy grows quietly and steadily.

About seven hundred years before Jesus, the Babylonian exile was a very painful period for the ancient Israelites. It was a time of terrible deprivation and suffering. They had been displaced and deprived of their homeland, their temple in Jerusalem, their possessions, rights, and dignity. They were experiencing a deep sense of abandonment, emptiness, and loneliness. They had lost all hope, peace, joy and meaning in life. Their suffering was due to their own choices, failures, and sins. Prior to their exile, God had sent the prophet Isaiah to deliver warning messages to them, but they did not heed His warnings. But then, God continued to speak to the people who were far off in exile, offering them words of comfort and hope and giving them a promise of restoration and renewal. It was in this context, Isaiah spoke of great joy in the realization of God restoring their lives, renewing their hearts, and giving them everlasting joy in His presence.

In today's first reading Isaiah (35:1-6a, 10), the prophet envisions that in the day of restoration, God will come and transform the desert through which the Israelites will return to their homeland, into a land of beauty and abundance to facilitate their journey. He will also strengthen their weak hands, make firm their feeble knees, calm their hearts, open their eyes, clear their ears, loosen their tongues, and fully restore their lives. In other words, when God comes to save them, He will change them physically and spiritually and, make all things right for their journey back home so that upon their arrival, they will see His glory and majesty for themselves and celebrate it with songs of praise, gratitude, and victory. Thus, Isaiah's prophecy of restoration was not merely a physical return, but also involved a profound spiritual transformation that the Israelites would enjoy.

The fulfilment of God's promise to free the captives in Babylon and to bring them back to their homeland was truly remarkable. The process of the physical restoration began in the year 538 when Cyrus, the King of Persia freed the Israelites, giving them the choice to return to their homeland and rebuild their city and the temple. It was also the beginning of the spiritual restoration, or renewal of the Israelites. Eventually, just as prophesied, when Jesus came into the world, John the Baptist, pointed to Him as the Messiah who would take away the sin of the world, John (1:35-36). However, later, while he was in prison he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was really the Messiah. Today's gospel of Matthew (11:2-11) addresses just that.

John wanted to know if Jesus was really the One they had been expecting not because he had doubts about Jesus, but rather he wanted his disciples to witness the works of Jesus themselves so that they would recognize who Jesus really was and begin to follow Him, after his own death. In reply, Jesus asked John's disciples to report back to John what they saw - the lame walk, the blind see, the lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor hear the good news. And at the same time, Jesus upheld John to the crowds saying that John fulfilled the prophecy about the one who would prepare the way for him. So, the long-expected Messiah, Jesus Christ, did come seeking his lost sheep, but more rejected Him than accepted Him, and even to this day, they continue to reject Him.

They rejected Him because they were offended at the suggestion that they needed to be saved. However, that did not stop God's plan of salvation for all. In the very rejection He endured, Jesus brought salvation to all those who believe and seek to follow in His footsteps, Luke (9:23) and 1 Peter (2:21). At the same time, Jesus promised to return to earth again victoriously to recompense all people, both the righteous and the wicked, and cautioned people to be ready for His imminent return by saying, "The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him", Matthew (24:44).

However, some apostles, including St. Paul expected Jesus to return within their own lifetime because He also had said, "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom", Matthew (16:28). When Jesus did not return immediately, the early Christians experienced much heartbreak and persecution. Hence, like Isaiah, in his letter to the early Christians, which we read in today's second reading, St. James (5:7-10) used the analogy of a farmer who waits patiently for his crop to grow as well as for the early and later rains and the harvest, and called on them to exercise patience and strong faith in the face of suffering, and not to grumble against one another as they awaited the Lord's coming. Thus, John encouraged the Christians not to abandon their following of Jesus while they were waiting for His Second Coming.

What is the message for us?

Along with the candle of hope and the candle of peace, we have lit the third candle - the rose candle called the candle of joy. It represents the joy that Jesus brought to the world in His first coming to earth over two thousand years ago. He brought joy to Mary, Elizabeth and John even before He was born. He then brought joy to all who encountered Him - the shepherds, the magi, Simeon, Anna, all the healed, the forgiven, the hungry, the disciples, and the hearers of His gospel. Then through His death and resurrection, He gave His followers irrevocable joy - the kind of joy that could not be eclipsed by anyone else or anything else. It was the promise that Jesus had given to his disciples before His death. He said, "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take your joy", John (16:20-22). This is the kind of joy we all want.

When it comes to joy, we are not talking about happiness which is circumstantial, temporary, and fleeting but rather a deeper and more sustainable state that comes from within and can exist regardless of our situation, even pain. The Bible teaches us that joy is a gift that God, in His mercy and grace, gives to those who put their trust in His Son Jesus Christ, Romans (15:13), and that it is something to be celebrated and shared with others. So, joy is not found in the absence of worries, anxieties, pain, suffering, and sorrows but rather in the presence of God even in the midst of any circumstance. Psalm (16:11) reminds us that only by being in God's presence, we can truly find real, lasting, unending and complete joy. Jesus Himself was concerned about our joy. He said, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full", John (15:11).

If we can only find the fullness of joy in God's presence, then we need to enter to get it. God's presence is a kind of "secret garden" for us. Not because it's hard to find, but because it's easy to neglect. God's presence is not going anywhere. It is not far away. It is always near us and with us, but often hidden from us. However, it is never absent. So, when we enter God's presence by faith, meaning when we acknowledge and honour God's presence in the Scripture, in prayer, in worship, and in the service of others, when we make room for God's presence, when we return to God's presence again and again and truly spend time in His presence, then we will be transformed, strengthened, and given joy and peace in ways nothing else and no one else can.

Just as "The Secret Garden" transformed Mary Lennox's life, God's presence will transform every aspect of our life. Even when we feel confused, lost, lonely, and abandoned and life is so heavy or uncertain, if we recognize God's presence, we will be filled with a joy that no one can take away from us. We may not always feel joyful, but we don't have to live in fear or worry, because God's joy is always available to us.

Let's get there and harvest His joy. Let us pray that we may live fully awake to His presence and wholly be aware of the lasting joy He offers us, and that we may not sleepwalk through this life but experience the abundant joy found in Him. Let us give thanks to Him for giving us a reason to always rejoice.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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