HOMILY OF BISHOP PAOLO FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

3rd Sunday of Advent

The liturgy of this third Sunday of Advent is, first and foremost, an invitation to joy. We heard it from Saint Paul: Be happy at all times; pray constantly; and for all things, give thanks to God.
There are many ways to be joyful. Sometimes, we seek happiness by trying to distract ourselves and not think about our problems. Other times, we are tempted to invent an artificial happiness that lasts only a few moments.
The word of God instead invites us to joy because God comes to live among us. God comes to free us from evil. Therefore, the foundation of joy is not our abilities or the absence of problems. For, who can be without problems? The Apostle invites us to rejoice because God is the foundation of our hope; God is faithful to his love, and He will always be with us.
We, therefore, find the true sources of joy in the Word of God, in the Eucharist, in the forgiveness we receive and in the life of our Church, where the Lord is present.
Furthermore, the liturgy invites us to look at Jesus as the fulfillment of all prophecies. The prophet Isaiah announces some fundamental traits of the Messiah: he will be a man upon whom the Holy Spirit will descend; the Holy Spirit will anoint him. This prophecy will be confirmed precisely by the scene of the Baptism of Jesus when John the Baptist sees the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and remain on him.
Furthermore, Isaiah's prophecy presents the Messiah as the one who brings good news to the poor and those in need: he comes to free the prisoners and announce a year of grace. Here, then, is the true foundation of joy. The Lord comes to free us. Therefore, Jesus does not come to condemn or blame us but to free and support us on life's journey. He comes for us and not against us.
But what does Jesus come to free us from, and what are we made free for? First of all, we are freed from evil, from our sins. Christ communicates to us God's love, forgiveness, and mercy. In this way, our life is no longer defined by our limits and sins but by God's love for us.
When we ask ourselves: but who am I? We are often reminded of our limitations, the things we did wrong, and our sins. But God's love is stronger than our sins. This is why to the question: who am I? We should answer I am loved. I am you, who loves me, oh Jesus. My life consists of the love that you offer me every day for my joy and my freedom.
At this point, we can ask ourselves: we are freed from evil, but for what purpose were we free? It is not just about being free from the chains of evil but about being free for good, for love. This is the most excellent sign that we are free people: we can receive and give love freely. Humans are free when we are loved and when we love others. This is why no one is as free as Jesus because no one knows how to love as much as Jesus loves. But if we let ourselves be loved by him, if we welcome Jesus into our hearts, then day after day, we, too, learn to give our lives to others out of love.
Finally, I invite you to take the example of John the Baptist, who, throughout his life, prepared the way of the Lord and testified to his coming among men. John the Baptist shows us that we must never put ourselves at the center but give space to Jesus in our lives. We, too, are called to bear witness to Jesus, inviting everyone to look to Jesus.
As you know, this year, we celebrate the jubilee of Saint Arethas and Companions by remembering their martyrdom, which occurred one thousand five hundred years ago. Although we come from many different nations, being now part of the Church in Arabia, we are participants in the history of this Church.
They were, like John the Baptist, witnesses of Christ. They brought to others not themselves but the love of Christ. They preferred to give their lives rather than deny Christ. We, too, are invited to welcome the love of God that frees us from evil and to be witnesses of Christ before the world.
Dear faithful, let us continue to live these days of Advent intensely to welcome Baby Jesus into our lives: he is the source of our joy, our liberator.
May the Most Holy Mary guard us and teach us to welcome the Lord as she did and to bring him to everyone. Amen.