THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: REJOICE FOR "AKUJOBI 1" IS HERE

READINGS: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

In many traditional settings, names are powerful, and, many a time, have an embedded meaning; a meaning that tell a story, describes a situation, makes a statement, states an intention, or even declares a wish. One of my friends, his name is “Akujobi”, which means, “The reconciler, the one who softened the heart to peace. He was named “Akujobi” because his parents experienced great opposition to their marriage from both families. But being in love and western educated, they defiled the family opposition and got married. Anger, bitterness, and resentment ensured, and communication went south. When his mother took in and gave birth to him, his grandparents had to let go of their bitterness and angst to embrace their grandchild. So, his parents named him “Akujobi”. My friends, there is no better name for Jesus Christ than “Akujobi I—the Reconciler in-Chief”— since He is the one who reconciled us with God and delivered us from His anger.

No wonder this Sunday is called “Rejoice Sunday”, and the readings summon us to bask in spiritual joy, in worship and praise, and to glory in the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Reconciler-in-Chief who has freed us from the bondage of sin and death and reconciled us with the Father. The first reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18) called for jubilation, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you”. My friends, this Sunday reminds us that the Lord of Lords is in our midst and therefore, we should never again be afraid. Rather, we should sing and rejoice, shout aloud in His praise, and boast as loud as we can about God’s grace and goodness. He is on our side! Scripture says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). What that means is that we must let go of the humiliations of our past; we should not let past sins embarrass us any longer. We should accept and celebrate God’s reconciliation efforts toward us, in Christ Jesus, and move on. The second reading (Phil 4:4-7) gives us the same encouragement, “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. Have no anxiety at all”.

In the gospel reading, people came to John the Baptist and asked him “What shall we do so that we can bask in the joy of what Christ has come to do for us? John did not demand that they wear sackcloth and sit in ashes; he did not tell them to offer more sacrifices and do week-long fasting; he simply told them to work on the areas of their greatest weakness. To the public, he told them to overcome self-centeredness by sharing what they have with those in need (compassion and charity); to the tax collectors (traders and baters), he told them to avoid their occupational temptation of price gouging (CREED); to the soldiers (those in power), he told them to avoid lording it over their subjects (bullying, oppression, extortion, subjugation); and to you and me, he said………. What would John the Baptist say to you if you were to ask him, “How about me? What situations in your life will he point to that pose the greatest threat to your spiritual joy? The Word has taken flesh and now dwells among us. How is that indwelling of His word working out in us so that our Christmas will be merry. May the joy of this Christmas encompass our hearts and minds, Amen.