Third Sunday of Advent Homily – Year B
Readings:
Isa 61:l-2, 10-l l
I Thess 5:16-24
Jn l:6-8, l9-28
1st Reading – Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11
1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, to preach leniency to captives and release to the confined,
2A and so to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vindication of our God.
10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, and my soul will exult in my God. For he has clothed me with the vestments of salvation, and he has wrapped me in the clothing of justice, like a groom arrayed with a crown, and like a bride adorned with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its seedlings and the garden produces its seeds, so will the Lord God bring forth justice and praise in the sight of all the nations.
Responsorial Psalm – Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54
R. (Isaiah 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.
46 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
49 the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
50 He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 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.
2nd Reading – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Brothers and sisters:
16 Always rejoice.
17 Pray without ceasing.
19 Do not choose to extinguish the Spirit.
20 Do not spurn prophecies.
21 But test all things. Hold on to whatever is good.
22 Abstain from every kind of evil.
23 And may the God of peace himself sanctify you through all things, so that your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved without blame unto the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who has called you is faithful. He shall act even now.
Alleluia – Isaiah 61:1 (CITED IN Luke 4:18)
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – John 1:6-8, 19-28
6 A man named John was sent from God.
8 He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.
19 And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?”
21 So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
22 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?”
24 Some Pharisees were also sent.
25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
28 These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Rejoice! The Lord is ‘Near!
Homily
“I exalt for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God” (Isa)
The festive meal is ready; the aroma of sumptuous dishes wafts through the air. Someone suggests, “Let’s say ‘Grace’!” and bursts into song, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!” Soon, the room resounds with that most popular grace-before- meals’ hymn. “But,” protests a friend, “Can we rejoice during the season of Advent?” The ‘Entrance Antiphon’ for this third Sunday of Advent answers that query by proclaiming precisely this line (Phil 4:4) as the theme for today’s liturgy, adding, “The Lord is near!”
Who has not experienced the joy of awaiting a loved one? The wife of a seaman coming home for Christmas or the child of a parent working abroad knows for sure that their loved one will come. Thus, even before the actual arrival, there’s a seminal, anticipated joy that comes from making preparations. And when the beloved actually does come, joy flowers fully. Likewise, the Bride of Christ, the Church, a Waits Jesus’ coming with adventicjoy and celebrates what was called ‘Gaudete Sunday’ (literally, Rejoice Sunday), the midway mark of Advent. The first two readings and the psalm speak about joy.
The first reading opens with verses from Isaiah that are. Most familiar: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor proclaim liberty to captives.” We know that Jesus begins his ministry by quoting these very words from Isaiah (Lk 4: 18). Today’s passage continues, “I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation.” Joy is closely connected with salvation.
The responsorial psalm is from the gospel of Luke. It is the Magnificent, Mary’s song of praise for the wonders God has worked through all ages: “My soul rejoices in my God for, he works marvels fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty.” Here too the joy is that of God’s salvation unfolding in history.
Reechoing the theme of joy, the second reading begins With Paul’s exhortation: “Be happy at all times!” and speaks of the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It’s important to remind ourselves that Advent not only commemorates the First Coming of Christ (incarnation), but also his Second Coming (Last judgment) when the history of salvation will find final fulfillment.
The gospel reading focuses on John the Baptist who is, so to say, a ‘finger pointer’ to Christ, or, as the gospel says, “a witness to speak for the light.” He announces that the Bridegroom is on his way. Thus, his message brings joy, but it also involves reparation and preparation – individual and communitarian.
Someone said, “A sad Christian is a bad Christian.” indeed, when Paul speaks of the “fruit of the Spirit” he puts ‘joy’ immediately after love (Gal 5:22). But, this joy is not self-centered, rather, finds it fulfillment in serving others. The alphabets of the word J-O-Y refer, first, to Jesus, then, to others, finally, to you! Living for Jesus and others brings genuine joy.
A guru once revealed the route by which he was led to God-realization. “First,” he said, “God took me to the Land of Action and after many years to the Land of Sorrows.” He continued, “Then, I was taken to the Land of Love where l was emptied of everything; next, God took me to the Land of Silence, where l pondered the mysteries of life.” The impatient disciples asked, ‘What was the final stage?” The guru replied, “God finally said that I’d see God’s innermost Self, and, God led me to the Land of Joy.”
Jesus brings joy because he binds broken hearts and breaks captives’ chains. His joy will be ours if we too, in the power of the Spirit, help him free the brokenhearted and captives. But, this demands breaking our own chains first. Are we ready?