Homily: Friday - 3rd Week of Advent 2016 - "A burning and shining lamp"

Tomorrow, December 17, begins what is often called “Late Advent” or “Deep Advent”; the Scripture readings and orations begin to take on slightly different tones and themes. Where the first part of Advent proclaims joyfully that the Christ is coming, this last part of Advent begins to focus on who is coming, the identity of the Christ child.

The O Antiphons of “Late Advent”, for example, each ascribe Old Testament names and titles to the one who is born on Christmas Day. Jesus is the fulfillment of all of those Old Testament prophesies: He is the Rod of Jesse, He is the Key of David, He is the Rising Star from the East, He is Adonai in the Flesh, He is Emmanuel—God With Us. These ancient prayers of the Church show how the Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus; how God prepared the human race for His own coming in the flesh.

For nearly a week, we have heard daily of a biblical figure who pointed to Jesus: John the Baptist. John the Baptist is a lot like those O Antiphons: he dresses and acts and speaks like a prophet from the Old Testament, while testifying, pointing directly to the promised One: he helps Israel transition from the shadows of prophecy to the reality of God-in-the-flesh.

In the Gospel today, Jesus explained how “John testified to the truth.” John bore witness that Jesus was “The Lamb of God”, “the Son of God”, the one anointed with the Holy Spirit. Because John witnessed to the truth Jesus called him “a burning and shining lamp”. Could he say the same about us?

Isaiah gives us wonderful instructions for becoming burning lamps for Christ: “observe what is right, do what is just”. Sometimes I think we underestimate the power of Christian Witness. Jesus himself teaches us to set good example for others. He says, “Thus let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and they should glorify your Father in the heavens.”

Observing what is right, doing what is just, performing good deeds, engaging in acts of mercy, these works are not for the purpose of gaining honor for ourselves, but to point to the one who has set us on our way. If the Holy Year of Mercy taught us anything, it is that the works of mercy are to be a consistent part of our normal Christian life. And by our works of mercy we witness to the One who IS Mercy.

As the light of the sun is seen less and less during these late December days, let us shine forth with the light of the Son of God by praying a little harder, giving a little more, striving to walk in the ways of righteousness and justice for the glory of God and salvation of souls.