Catechism Links[1]
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 |
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. 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
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.”[6] 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
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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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 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 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 ‘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 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
“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
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
In all we do in the upcoming
week, let us remember our Motto for the week: “Semper Gaudete.”
Pax
[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 re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
[5]
The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter
Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 350
[6]
Letters of St. Paul, Navarre Bible, © Four Courts
Press, 2003, pp 529
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