Catechism Links [1]
CCC 30, 163, 301, 736, 1829, 1832, 2015, 2362: Joy
CCC 713-714: Characteristics of the awaited Messiah
CCC 218-219: God’s love for Israel
CCC 772, 796: The Church as the Bride of Christ
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| “Madonna of the Magnificat” (Madonna del Magnificat) by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-81 |
Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary:[4]
Reading 1: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
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Commentary on Is 61:1-2a, 10-11
The prophetic vision from Isaiah begins with words used by Jesus himself in Luke 4:18-19. When it was first used, it was inspired by the return of faithful from the Babylonian exile. It envisions the coming of the messianic age, foreseeing the saving work of the Messiah (“glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners”).
The realization of salvation brings such joy to the prophet that his very soul sings to God in joy for God’s mercy and justice. This same sentiment is expressed and echoed in the Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55). A secondary image of the messianic age is also brought forward as the concept of the bride of salvation is envisioned (the people vindicated or rescued by God now joined to the Savior – wedded through his saving acts).
CCC: Is 61:1-2 714; Is 61:1 436, 695, 716, 1286
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Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54..
R. (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
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Commentary on Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.
This is a selection from the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), which is the beautiful Canticle of Mary. Her song of thanksgiving and humility captures the saintliness that has become synonymous with our image of Mary the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church. In her dedication of the service she offers to God as vessel of the Messiah, she sets the stage for the humble birth of Jesus.
"Three stanzas may be distinguished in the canticle: in the first (verses 46-50) Mary glorifies God for making her the Mother of the Savior, which is why future generations will call her blessed; she shows that the Incarnation is a mysterious expression of God's power and holiness and mercy. In the second (verses 51-53) she teaches us that the Lord has always had a preference for the humble, resisting the proud and boastful. In the third (verses 54-55) she proclaims that God, in keeping with His promise, has always taken care of His chosen people – and now does them the greatest honor of all by becoming a Jew (cf. Romans 1:3)." [5]
CCC: Lk 1:46-55 722, 2619, 2675; Lk 1:46-49 2097; Lk 1:48 148, 971, 2676, 2676; Lk 1:49 273, 2599, 2807, 2827; Lk 1:50 2465; Lk 1:54-55 706
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Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
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Commentary on 1 Thes 5:16-24
In this concluding discourse from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he exhorts them to holiness. He begins by explaining that, because a Christian has received the grace and friendship of God, they should always rejoice, and in that joy their thoughts, their lives, should be a prayer to God in Christ Jesus.
St. Paul also encourages the community not to smother expressions of the Holy Spirit. Prophets in the early church were seen as having special gifts to “console, correct, or instruct others.”[3] It should be noted that St. Paul’s view that such charismatic utterances should be heeded were latter toned back and corrected (see 1 Corinthians 14; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-15; 2 Peter 3:1-16).
Used on the Third Sunday of Advent (B) (Gaudete Sunday) we note that v. 16 of this passage is given in the Latin as “Semper gaudete”- “Always rejoice.” Although the name came from the translation of Philippians 4:4-5: “Gaudete in Domino semper” or “Rejoice in the Lord always” used in the Cycle C readings.
CCC: 1 Thes 5:17-18 2633; 1 Thes 5:17 1174, 2742, 2757; 1 Thes 5:18 2638, 2648; 1 Thes 5:19 696; 1 Thes 5:23 367
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Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
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Commentary on Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
St. John, following the other Gospel authors, introduces St. John the Baptist as a crucial figure in the fulfillment of God’s plan. St. John the Evangelist goes to great pains to distinguish the Baptist from Jesus saying St. John the Baptist “was not the light, but came to testify to the light.”
The Evangelist uses the Pharisees' interaction with St. John the Baptist to clarify his prophetic role, and to provide a vehicle for his own witness to Christ’s identity as the Son of God. Consistent with the synoptic Gospels, the Baptist is portrayed as eccentric and humble in his mission, although he denies the claim that he is Elijah returned as his appearance and behavior (Matthew 3:4 ff) suggest (saying, “I am not”). Jesus makes it clear in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 11:14) that he fulfills the prophecy that Elijah would come again as a sign that the Messiah had arrived (cf Malachi 3:23-24).
The Gospel passage re-emphasizes that Jesus will come unrecognized by the very community he comes to save. Jesus had not yet been publicly revealed, and would not be revealed until he came to the Baptist for his own baptism (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark.1:9-11; Luke.3:21-23).
CCC: Jn 1:6 717; Jn 1:7 719; Jn 1:9 1216; Jn 1:11 530; Jn 1:12-18 1996; Jn 1:12-13 706; Jn 1:12 526, 1692; Jn 1:13 496, 505, 526; Jn 1:14 423, 445, 454, 461, 594, 705, 2466; Jn 1:16 423, 504; Jn 1:17 2787; Jn 1:18 151, 454, 473; Jn 1:19 575, 613; Jn 1:23 719
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Reflection:
Today we have added the pink Candle of Joy to the candles of Love and Hope bearing witness to the Light of Christ.
It is Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing. There is a bit of irony this year. Not because the geo-political situation in the world makes the prospect of rejoicing difficult, but for a much more obscure reason. Gaudete Sunday receives its name from the translation of the fourth verse of the fourth chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” That verse read in Latin is: “Gaudete in Domino semper.” Ah ha! You may ask why didn’t we hear that reading today. The answer is the Philippians reading is used in the C cycle readings (we’ll use it next year). This year, the B cycle, we use the reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. You may have noticed it started with the words “Rejoice always,” which is translated in Latin “Semper Gaudete.” Perhaps the authors of the tradition did not want us to be confused with the Marine Corps whose motto of course is "Semper Fidelis” or “Always Faithful.” Interestingly, from a theological perspective, though, always faithful would mean one would be always rejoicing.
Now some of the more scholarly types might be asking: “If cycles B and C use some form of Gaudete, does cycle A also contain a reading that begins with ‘Rejoice’ (there are only three cycles – A, B, and C)?” The answer is “no,” in cycle A St. James tells us to be patient.
On this “Gaudete Sunday” however, the rejoicing theme is intensely handed to us in scripture. First, in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, we find almost poetic language describing the coming of an age when the Messiah will rule. The prophet’s soul fairly sings as he writes:
"he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God."
It is this time of healing and freedom to which we look forward, rejoicing. That same emotion of joy is also captured in the Song of Mary – the Magnificat, used as the psalm response today:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Then St. Paul, whose instructions to the churches he founded always exhorted them to behave as the adopted sons and daughters of God that they were, tells the Thessalonian church to:
“Rejoice always.”
Our time is quickly drawing near. The Gospel of John reminds us that a great light is coming into the world, and it shines first on those of us who already have faith, filling us with the “hope,” “love,” and “joy” of Christ even as the three candles now lit signify.
But what of that other “irony” mentioned at the beginning of these remarks? What of the darkness of the situation in the community around us? In these difficult times we must not simply think of our own joy, basking in the glow of the Savior to come. We are called to do much more. As light has come to us, our own baptism calls us to be “Children of the Light” as well. Bringing our own peace and joy in Christ to others, rejoicing as we sacrifice some small part of our own love so that others might find love.
The joy of this season for us must be not only in sharing the warmth of family and friends but sharing with those without family and friends. The idea conveyed by St. John the Baptist was not that he alone had heard God’s call but that he was a messenger of one who was to come. His message is our message.
This season, this week, let us accept the challenge of Gaudete Sunday. First, we need to find the joy this season should bring in our own hearts. We need to look past the commercial blitz and the glut of food and gifts to find the joy the manger offers. Once we have been able to find our own joy in the season, let's reach out to others as our gifts allow. If it is merely to put money into the collection plate or the red kettles, let’s do that joyfully, lovingly. If all we can do is pray for others, let us offer those prayers with the hope and joy of Mother Mary whose very soul proclaimed the greatness of the Lord. If we can do more; if we can take up the eccentric mantle of St. John the Baptist and call others to the Lord – so much the better.
In all we do in the upcoming week, let us remember our Motto for the week: “Semper Gaudete.”
Joy, for many of us, is tempered this day by gathering restrictions imposed by our caution over the spread of the viral pandemic. For those of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we offer this prayer:
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen
Pax
In other years on this date: Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “Madonna of the Magnificat” (Madonna del Magnificat) by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-81.
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 350.
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