The Third Sunday of Advent

Reading 1 Isaiah 61:1-2, 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.

“Today, this scripture passage has been fulfilled in your midst.”

 (Lk 4:21)

Responsorial Psalm Lk 1:46-50, 53-54 My soul rejoices in my God (Is 61:10)

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.
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.
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.

Mary’s journey with our Lord is just beginning. She does not have all the answers, she in fact has very few. Mary models for us the response of one who trusts God. Mary rejoices. She sings forth praise to God amid all of her uncertainty because she trusts in the God who delivers. I don’t know about you, but my greatest moments of rejoicing were on the delivery side of things and not at the promise. The bible teaches us, “God’s ways are not man’s ways, nor are God’s thoughts man’s thoughts.” I would like to extrapolate one more truth, God’s promises are not man’s promises. We must not lean upon our human experience with other humans to live in our relationship with God. The next time that you are at the beginning of one of life’s journeys and you are feeling expectant hope for what God can do, proclaim, and rejoice the greatness of God at the outset as Mary did.

Reading 2 1 Thes 5:16-24

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.

 What is prayer? Prayer is rejoicing. It is giving thanks. Prayer is connecting with the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is listening to God’s words spoken through another. Prayer is discerning what is and is not of God. What is the fruit of prayer? The God of peace will make you perfectly holy.

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.

 A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

 A man/woman named (insert your name here) was sent from God. He/ She came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him/her. Ever wonder why God made you? Why you are here? What your purpose in life really is? John the Baptist defines every baptized Christian’s life mission: To reflect the light of Christ onto the world.

 Still don’t know where to start? Re-read St. Paul’s letter above.