Advent Reflections 2024 (Week 3)

Advent Reflections from St.Ambrose High School. These have been read by S6 students who are completing the Pope Benedict Caritas Award.
A reflection for the third week of Advent
Rejoice in the Lord always! Rejoice!
This Advent season, we have so many things for which we can rejoice: family, friends, celebrations, but do we remember the reason for which we should truly be rejoicing? That reason is, of course, Jesus Christ. As we proceed through Advent, we prepare for His coming, readying our hearts for the Nativity of our Lord. What a beautiful time of year this is!
At the same time, it can also be very difficult to rejoice, or at least to take the time away from our busy schedule to rejoice. Preparing for family visits might have us running errands all over the place, or Christmas lists might have us focused on shopping. Or perhaps more serious concerns keep us from rejoicing. So how are we to rejoice then in this season? How do we reorient ourselves towards the true reason for rejoicing as we look expectantly for the coming of our Saviour?
Well, one practical thing we can do is turn to others. In this season of Advent and the coming season of Christmas, it is important to remember those who are missing something, whether they are missing a hot meal, clean clothes, or the company of family and friends. We can go out into the world and be a force for good, allowing the Lord to work through us in our words and deeds, showing those around us that “the Lord is near” and he is ever-faithful in His promise to remain with us all, in love, the days of our lives.
A voice crying out from the wilderness reminds us of this love, and the presence of the Lord in our lives. A voice of a person whom we reflected on last week. While John was in the womb of Elizabeth, he foretold the coming of the Lord; then on the banks of the Jordan, he foretells the coming of Jesus once again, proclaiming that Christ will “baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
In this baptism with the Holy Spirit, we are made a new creation and are truly given a reason to rejoice: we have new life in Christ and “can cry out with joy and gladness.” He has given us in the faith, these tangible and real signs that echo the voice of John the Baptist as he cries out to us proclaiming the presence of the Lord.
John is a recipient of the light and that is his identity. He is one sent to share what he received with others. He is very often described as a “witness.” By our baptism we, like John, are called to be witnesses. This Advent, what ways can we be witnesses to the light God has sent into the world?