Let the party begin!

First Reading Baruch 5:1-9 

(Your Name), take off your dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever, wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you, put the diadem of the glory of the Eternal on your head: since God means to show your splendour to every nation under heaven.

The colour purple is the colour of Advent. Unfortunately, purple is also the colour for Lent. This makes us sometimes to think of Advent as a kind of Lenten season. But Advent is very different from Lent. Whereas Lent is marked by penitence, sorrow and self-denial, Advent is a time of getting ready for the party to begin. Are you ready for the party? Are you ready so that the party can begin?

For some people there has never been a party in their life; for them the party of life and living has never began. Yes, because of what we have gone through or are going through, the joy and happiness meant for us may still be elusive. If you are one of those people whose party and fiesta have not began, listen to the Prophet Baruch in the First Reading of today: 

(Your Name), take off your dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever, wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you, put the diadem of the glory of the Eternal on your head: since God means to show your splendour to every nation under heaven.

Are you ready? Are you ready, “since God means to show your splendour to every nation under heaven.” Please, if you want to shine, if you want to show your glory and be your best, do the following: “take off your dress of (1) sorrow and distress, put on the (2) beauty of the glory of God for ever, (3) wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you, put the (4) diadem of the glory of the Eternal on your head.”

First and foremost, change your appearance. Take off your mourning clothes and put on celebration attire. What is the name of the your dress of sorrow and distress? Is it a person, a circumstance in your life? An event in your life? Take it or him or her off yourself. 

Start to look good. Why is that important? Because what we wear reflects and affects how we feel about life. Secondly, it affects everyone else around us. One reason why the philosopher Nietzsche could not accept the gospel message of salvation was because the Christians of his day who claimed to be saved did not look like people who were saved. “If these Christians want me to believe in their God,” he said, “they’ll have to sing better songs, they’ll have to look more like people who have been saved, they’ll have to wear on their countenance the joy of the beatitudes.”

“Take off your dress of (1) sorrow and distress, put on the (2) beauty of the glory of God for ever, (3) wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you, put the (4) diadem of the glory of the Eternal on your head.”

This is what John the Baptist is telling his people to do in today’s Gospel Reading (Lk 3:1-6): "Prepare God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight 5 Every ditch will be filled in, Every bump smoothed out,The detours straightened out, All the ruts paved over. And everybody will see the Life of God.”

You will tell me, how am I to change when my situation has not changed? My answer is this: change not because your situation has changed; change so that your situation  may change; your situation will change when you change. Yes, change first and your spouse will change; change first and your children will change; change first and your boss will change; change yourself and you will change your world. 

Yes, we can live in a depressing situation without being depressed. Not because we are super-men and women but because the joy of the Lord is our strength; we need to prove to ourselves and to the world that our joy does not depend on what we eat and drink, does not depend on someone or on some situation; it depends on the Lord.

Let us begin the party, by singing Shine Jesus Shine!

Lord the Light of Your Love is shining,

In the midst of the darkness shining,

Jesus light of the world shine upon us,

Set us free by the truth You now bring us,

Shine on me. Shine on me.

Shine Jesus shine

Fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit blaze,

Set our hearts on fire

Flow, river flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your word

Lord and let there be light.

Lord I come to Your awesome presence,

From the shadows into Your radiance,

By the blood I may enter Your brightness,

Search me, try me, consume all my darkness,

Shine on me. Shine on me.

As we gaze on Your kindly brightness.

So our faces display Your likeness.

Ever changing from glory to glory,

Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.

Shine on me. Shine on me.