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| “The Magnificat” by James Tissot, 1889 |
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 lowly,
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. In the day 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 the joy of
the God’s mercy and justice. This same sentiment is expressed and echoed in the
Canticle of Mary. A secondary image of the messianic age is also brought
forward as the concept of bride of salvation is envisioned (the people
vindicated or rescued by God now joined to the savior – wedded through His
saving acts).
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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.
We are given a selection from
the Magnificat, 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.
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Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 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 himself 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] I 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.
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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
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 critical 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 both 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 the Baptist 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
fulfils the prophecy that Elijah would come again as a sign the Messiah had
arrived.(cf Malachi 3:23-24)
The Gospel passage makes it clear
that Jesus will come unrecognized by the very community he comes to save. Jesus
had not yet been publically revealed and would not be revealed until he came to
the Baptist for his own baptism.
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Homily:
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
economic situation in the world makes the prospect of rejoicing difficult, but
a much more obscure reason. Gaudete
Sunday receives its name from the translation of the fourth verse of the fourth
chapter of St. Paul St. Paul
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 the 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 lowly,
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 we look forward to 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
“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 of the
community around us? In these difficult
economic 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
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, lets 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
In all we do in the upcoming
week, let us remember our Motto for the week; “Semper Gaudete”.
Pax
In Other Years On December
14: Memorial
of Saint John of the Cross
[1]
ALTRE
[2]
The picture used today is “The Magnificat” by James Tissot, 1889
[3]
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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
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