Homily for December 14

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Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent
(Scriptures for today's Mass)

Audio for homily

Is there any darkness in your life?   in your heart?   in your thoughts?

Maybe the darkness of fear…    perhaps the darkness of grief…

possibly the darkness of loneliness…    or the darkness of worry…

is it the darkness of failure…    the darkness of sin…   

or the darkness of pain…    or want…    or hopelessness?

Into just such darkness in peoples’ lives

walked John the Baptist 2000 years ago

and into just such darkness in peoples’ lives

he walks into our midst this morning, in the gospel.

And to those who dwell in darkness, John promises a light.

He says clearly that he is not the light.

He came only to testify to the light

to announce that the light has dawned, has come into the world.

And the light is Jesus, a light no darkness can extinguish.

Whatever darkness you and I might find ourselves in today,

that darkness, as great as it may seem to us,

cannot overcome, cannot overshadow, cannot eclipse

the light of Christ.

John came to bear witness to that light

to hold the Christ-light for us         

as one holds a lamp to light the path.

My Advent reading this past week led me to these wise words:

“It matters that we hold the light for one another.

It matters that we bear witness to the Light that holds us all.”

    (Jan Richardson, The Advent Door)

So… who holds the light for you in your darkness?

And in whose darkness do you hold the light for another?

           

• We hold the Christ-light for each other

when we walk together the most difficult legs of life’s journey.

• We hold the Christ-light for others

by our presence, our compassion, our sharing of ourselves.

• We hold the Christ-light in others’ darkness

when we welcome them,  forgive them, accept and embrace them.

• We hold the Christ-light in the darkness

by sharing our faith with others, that is,

by pointing to the light of Christ in our own lives

and inviting others to stand with us in that light with us.

Of all the Christmas lights you and I might put on a tree this year,

or in our windows, or around our front doors,

no light will be greater, no light brighter,

no light will more perfectly penetrate the darkness

than the Christ-light we hold for each other.

If I spend some time pondering the question,

“Who holds the light of Christ for me in my darkness?”

I’ll find in the answer the greatest gift that could be mine this Christmas.

And if I spend some time pondering the question,

 “For whom do I hold the light of Christ in the darkness?”

I’ll find the greatest gift I can possibly give this Christmas.

Remember: like John the Baptist - we are not the light.

We don’t have to be the light for others.

John served others by letting them know he saw the light,

he believed in God,

and  his belief made a difference in his life,

and in doing that he held the Christ-light for them.

Like John, we’re called to point to Christ in our own lives          

that others might walk by his light, too,

and trust that no darkness can overcome it.

Who serves you by holding the Christ-light in your darkness?

Whom do you serve by holding the Christ-light in another’s darkness?

Will we serve one another in sharing Christ’s light?

Please take your hymnals and turn to hymn 374.

And join me in singing…

The Servant Song
Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.

We are pilgrims on the journey
We are travelers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the nighttime of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born to all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.

- Richard Gillard

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