Today is "Gaudete Sunday". Gaudete is Latin for "rejoice". We rejoice in the Lord and He rejoices in us. I rejoice in all of you. We have had a good semester at the Newman Center, thanks be to God and you. I love you all for who you are. You are children of God and my spiritual kids while you are here. But, my love and admiration for you grows whenever you show that Christ is here. And, this is what you have done this semester as I'll go through in a moment.
Christ is here! This is really the focus of what St. John the Baptist asks Jesus in today's Gospel. He is asking, 'are you the Christ? Is Christ here?' Christ was his hope. He spent his whole life waiting for, preparing for, and hoping for Christ. This is why Jesus says no one born of woman is greater than John the Baptist. John's hope is Christ and his hope is realized when he hears that Christ is here. Pope Benedict has told us that Advent is a season of hope; John the Baptist is the embodiment of hope during Advent.
Jesus gives evidence that He is the Christ in answer to John's question. It is the same evidence that the prophet Isaiah wrote about 700 years before it happened; John would have recognized that it's what Isaiah prophesied. It's the same evidence that Christ is here at GW!
"the blind regain their sight"...two students have regained their sight this semester. Not physical sight, but spiritual sight. They were blind in their Catholic faith, but now see everything through the eyes of faith.
"the lame walk"...at least two times this semester, GW Catholics have helped the lame walk. A few Saturdays, they helped residents at Gift of Peace who can't walk get to lunch or Mass. Recently, one of our students has been hospitalized because of a muscle syndrome. Other students have been visiting her every day to encourage and support her in her therapy as she tries to walk again soon.
"lepers are cleansed".. All diseases in the Gospel represent sin; leprosy might represent serious sin. Serious sin has been cleansed this semester here. I realized the other day that it's been about once a week that a student has come to Confession after 10 years. It’s often been because other students have invited them to go to Confession.
"the deaf here"...probably the most powerful story from this semester comes from a student who works in a university department. One day, she was talking with other students in the department about abortion. She told them that her views on life were at the "core of her being". The core of her being! They had never heard this before - "the deaf hear" - and struggled to find anything in their lives that they believed in so strongly.
"the dead are raised"...there are several examples of students whose faith has been raised to life this semester, mainly through the work of the FOCUS missionaries. Their faith was dead; now it is alive and vibrant.
"the poor have the good news proclaimed to them"... One of the most inspiring things I've seen as chaplain here is students leading other students to live chastity. It's not just been within relationships. For example, guys telling other guys to exercise more to burn off sexual energy or reminding themselves to be a man of love, not lust. And, the advice has helped them get over the hump to live chastity. Amazing! Also, students have been proclaiming the good news to their non-Catholic friends in our Bible studies. One student who lives an exciting life here told me last week the most exciting thing in his life is bringing his Jewish friends to Bible study.
So, Christ is here! The one thing that I'd challenge you on for next semester is this. Certainly, keep up the good work, but bring more Catholics here...to Mass, to the Newman Center, to Bible study. Christ is here and they should be here to experience Him. And, He is especially here at Mass in the Eucharist. He is visibly present in the Eucharist while invisibly present through you in all the ways I've described.
Last thing and the one thing I hope you remember from this semester..deep in your hearts: you are good and you are loved. God created you, so you are good. God don't make junk! You are loved. God loves each and every one of you. I love each and every one of you. You are good and you are loved.
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