Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent

When William Booth founded the Salvation Army in the slums of London in 1865, Victorian England was not kind to its poor citizens. Early on, Booth was arrested for his charitable work. However, he persevered, and by 1880, he was ready to send his “troops” abroad.

One Christmas, Booth wanted to send a cable to Salvation Army posts worldwide. A lengthy message was not feasible due to financial constraints, as he wished to allocate funds to help the poor. So, he chose to send just one word. That Christmas, Booth greeted his fellow workers around the globe with that one word: Others.

That single word encapsulates the essence of the Gospel. It is in doing for others that we come to recognize the presence of God in our midst—a presence we often overlook due to being too busy, jaded, proud, or overwhelmed.

As John the Baptist proclaims at the River Jordan, we can only celebrate the Messiah in our lives when we step beyond ourselves to embrace the needs and hopes of others.

In baptism, we are called to witness God’s love through the love we extend to others. We are called to be heralds of His justice by unwaveringly committing to what is right and good for others. We are called to reflect the light of Christ through our forgiveness, mercy, and compassion for others. We are called to imitate the example of Christ, the servant, through our humble, joy-filled service to others.

May we strive to be instruments of God’s love and peace to all those who are most in need in our world.