Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
(Gaudete Sunday)
Psalter: Week 3 / (Rose)
Responsorial Psalm: Is 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6: Cry out with joy and gladness, from among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
1st Reading: Zephaniah 3: 14-18a
Cry out with joy, O daughter of Zion; rejoice, O people of Israel! Sing joyfully with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!
Yahweh has lifted your sentence and has driven your enemies away. Yahweh, the King of Israel is with you; do not fear any misfortune.
On that day they will say to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid nor let your hands tremble, for Yahweh your God is within you, Yahweh, saving warrior. He will jump for joy on seeing you, for he has revived his love. For you he will cry out with joy, as you do in the days of the feast.
I will drive away the evil I warned you about, and you will no longer be shamed.
2nd Reading: Philippians 4: 4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice and may everyone experience your gentle and understanding heart.
The Lord is near: do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God.
Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Luke 3: 10-18
The people asked him, “What are we to do?” And John answered, “If you have two coats, give one to the person who has none; and if you have food, do the same.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and asked him, “Master, what must we do?” John said to them, “Collect no more than your fixed rate.” People serving as soldiers asked John, “What about us? What are we to do?” And he answered, “Don’t take anything by force or threaten the people by denouncing them falsely. Be content with your pay.”
The people were wondering about John’s identity, “Could he be the Messiah?” Then John answered them, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming will do much more: he will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie his sandal. He comes with a winnowing fan to clear his threshing floor and gather the grain into his barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”
With these, and many other words, John announced the Good News to the people.
LECTIO DIVINA:
Read: The people asked John the Baptist what they should do. John told them to share their cloak and food to those who have none.
The tax collectors also came to John and they also asked him about the thing they should do. John told them that they should not collect more than what they must collect from the people.
The soldiers also asked John about the thing they must do, John told them that they must not take anything from anyone by force. They should not threaten people. They must be contented with their pay.
Reflect: We always encounter John the Baptist during the season of Advent. He is a figure that keeps inviting us to repentance.
Repentance is the way to prepare ourselves to be worthy of Christmas grace, the grace of the incarnate Word. John summons us to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus so that he may pass through our life without delay. If we are going to ask John about what to do in order to make straight the Lord’s path in our life, he would tell us plainly to change our selfish, greedy and violent ways. In today’s pericope, he exhorted the people to share, the tax collectors not to cheat and the soldiers not to use violence.
Without doubts, these remain to be relevant challenges today.
Pray: Let us pray for God’s grace that we may truly repent and change our selfish, greedy and violent ways.
Act: Let us practice generosity throughout the week. Today, in whatever we do, we exercise calmness.
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