December 13
Sunday
3rd Sunday of Advent
1st Reading: Zeph 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.
2nd Reading: Phil 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: Lk 3:10–18
The people asked John, “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.
Commentary
This Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, a name that comes from the latin word that means “Rejoice!” As the rose candle on the Advent wreath is lit, we rejoice that Christmas is near. We rejoice in the fact that our God does not keep His distance from us, but enters into our human experience, shares our sorrows and our struggles, and takes upon His shoulders the weight of our sins so that we might dare to hope for the gift of eternal life.
John the Baptist proclaimed Good News to the people of his day. Today we rejoice in the Good News that the Lord’s love is greater than anything we could have ever imagined. He reconciles us poor sinners and abides with us so that we might never again fear the powers of sin and death. He gives us consolation in times of sorrow and courage in times of weakness. He fills our hearts with the “peace of God which surpasses all understanding.”
We rejoice this day not simply because of the nearness of the celebration of Christmas, but for the nearness of our God who makes that celebration possible.
December 14
Monday
3rd Week of Advent
St. John of the Cross
1st Reading: Num 24:2–7, 15–17a
He looked up and saw Israel camping, tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his song:
“Word of Balaam, son of Beor, the seer, the one who hears the words of God, and beholds the vision of the Almighty, in ecstasy, with eyes unveiled.
How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your encampments, Israel! Like valleys stretching far, like gardens beside a stream, like aloes planted by Yahweh, like cedars beside the waters.
His buckets are overflowing and his seeds are always watered. His king becomes stronger than Agag, and his kingdom grows.”
Then Balaam pronounced his oracle: “Word of Balaam, son of Beor, the seer, the one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, and sees the vision of the Almighty, in ecstasy, with eyes unveiled. I see a figure, but not really. I behold him but not near.
A star shall come forth from Jacob, he rises with a staff in his hand; he shatters the forehead of Moab and tears down all the sons of Sheth.”
Gospel: Mt 21:23–27
Jesus had entered the Temple and was teaching when the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the Jewish authorities came to him and asked, “What authority have you to act like this? Who gave you authority to do all this?”
Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you a question, only one. And if you give me an answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. When John began to baptize, was it a work of God, or was it merely something human?”
They reasoned out among themselves, “If we reply that it was a work of God, he will say: Why, then, did you not believe him? And if we say: The baptism of John was merely something human, beware of the people; since all hold John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what right I do these things.”
Commentary
In Advent, the world is awake, decking the halls, and looking to the birth of another infant. The birth of Christ is a part of our identity, reminding us, each year, that we also were born, that we were fragile, that we were celebrated. For those born in December, and for any who remember their own beginnings in the scenes of Advent, the season offers a time of contemplating infant beginnings, a lesson in what it means to be human, like no other. Stories and celebrations of our own birth are juxtaposed with a nativity story, told long before we were born, and one that will continue to be told long after us.
The story of God is a story filled with nativity scenes. In a world, where significance and identity are earned by what we do, by what we have accomplished, by what we own, the kingdom of God arrives scandalously, even offensively. In this kingdom, our worth begins before we have said or done the right things, before we have accumulated the right lifestyle or even made the appropriate confessions. In this kingdom, the very God of creation steps into the world as a child as well!
December 15
Tuesday
3rd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Zep 3:1–2, 9–13
Woe to the rebellious, the defiled, the city that op-presses. She did not pay attention to the call nor accept the correction; she did not trust Yahweh nor did she approach her God.
At that time I will give truthful lips to the pagan nations that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve him with the same zeal. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia they will bring offerings to me.
On that day you will no longer be ashamed of all your deeds when you were unfaithful to me; I will have removed from your midst the conceited and arrogant and my holy mountain will no longer be for you a pretext for boasting.
I will leave within you a poor and meek people who seek refuge in God. The remnant of Israel will not act unjustly nor will they speak falsely, nor will deceitful words be found in their mouths. They will eat and rest with none to threaten them.
Gospel: Mt 21:28–32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, “What do you think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to him: ‘Son, today go and work in my vineyard.’ And the son answered: ‘I don’t want to.’ But later he thought better of it and went. Then the father went to the second and gave him the same command. This son replied: ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what the father wanted?” They answered, “The first.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you: the publicans and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came to show you the way of goodness but you did not believe him, yet the publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you neither repented nor believed him.”
Commentary
Children are not usually the main characters in the stories we tell, yet the story of Christmas begins and ends with a child we don’t quite know what to do with. Here, a vulnerable baby in a dirty stable breaks in as the harbinger of good news, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, the anointed leader who comes to set the captives free-wrapped in swaddling clothes and resting in a manger. Coming as a child, God radically draws near, while at the same time radically overthrowing our conceptions of status, worth, power, and authority. Jesus is crowned king long before he can sit in a throne. He begins overturning idols and upsetting social order long before he can even speak.
Advent, like childhood, reminds us that we are in need of someone sovereign. It also reminds us that, like the baby in a Bethlehem stable, we too are somewhat out of place, homeless and longing for home. For us to be human is to be implicitly religious; for even within our most deeply felt needs for love and refuge, we are reminded that there is one who has come so very far to meet us and protect us.
December 16
Wednesday
3rd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 45:6c–8, 18, 21c–25
So that, from the rising to the setting of the sun, all may know that there is no one besides me; I am Yahweh, and there is no other. I form the light and create the dark; I usher in prosperity and bring calamity. I, Yahweh, do all this. Let the heavens send righteousness like dew and the clouds rain it down.
Let the earth open and salvation blossom, so that justice also may sprout; I, Yahweh, have created it.
Yes, this is what Yahweh says, he who created the heavens, – for he is God, who formed and shaped the earth, – for he himself set it: “I did not let confusion in it, I wanted people to live there instead” – for I am Yahweh and there is no other.
Let them present their arguments take counsel together and tell me: Who announced this from the beginning, who foretold it in the distant past? Is it not me Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a Savior, a God of justice, there is no other one but me.
Turn to me and be saved, all you from the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. By my own self I swear it, and what comes from my mouth is truth, a word I say will not be revoked.
Before me every knee will bend, by me every tongue will swear, saying, “In Yahweh alone are righteousness and strength.” All who have raged against him will come to him in shame. But through Yahweh there will be victory and glory to the people of Israel.
Gospel: Lk 7:18b–23
The disciples of John gave him all this news. So he called two of them and sent them to the Lord with this message, “Are you the one we are expecting, or should we wait for another?” These men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you: Are you the one we are to expect, or should we wait for another?”
At that time Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses or diseases; he freed them from evil spirits and he gave sight to the blind. Then he answered the messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor are given good news. Now, listen: Fortunate are those who encounter me, but not for their downfall.”
Commentary
It seems that, as the world supposedly becomes less complicated through technological advances, we still find ourselves waiting. According to researchers, the average person will spend five years of his or her life waiting in line, two years holding onto the telephone, and six months sitting at red lights. That is over seven and a half years, either at best doing nothing, or at worst experiencing great aggravation. The bottom line is that, even in our fast-paced world, with its post-modern conveniences, we are all waiting for something.
As strange as it sounds, during the Advent season, we discover purpose in our waiting. During the Advent season we symbolically participate in the waiting of the patriarchs, kings, prophets and priests as, patiently and reflectively, we await Christ’s final and glorious return. Through prayer and reflection, liturgy, Eucharist, and the signs and symbols of Advent, we groan with Isaiah for a day when weapons will be turned into agricultural instruments. We cry out with Zechariah, rejoicing that the dawn from on high is breaking upon us. We pray with many, whose expectations of the future kingdom may have been hazy, yet who still yearn for something more complete and more real.
December 17
Thursday
3rd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Gen 49:2, 8–10
“Gather round, sons of Jacob. And listen to your father Israel! Judah, your brothers will praise you! You shall seize your enemies by the neck! Your father’s sons shall bow before you. Judah, a young lion! You return from the prey, my son! Like a lion he stoops and crouches, and like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter shall not be taken from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and who has the obedience of the nations.
Gospel: Mt 1:1–17
This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife.
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings: Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ—the Messiah.
There were then fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, and fourteen generations from David to the deportation to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the deportation to Babylon to the birth of Christ.
Commentary
During Advent, we legitimately cry out Maranatha! Come Lord! On that first Christmas day, the world was somehow sanctified. Something in the fabric of the cosmos shifted, as creation became a fitting vehicle for God’s redemptive work. As the season of Advent shows, even waiting has become sanctified.
As we wait in long lines this Advent, or as we wait for anything really, it is important that we remember the waiting of those, who were expecting the Messiah, and that we always wait with patience, humility and hope. Especially during Advent, to wait, prayerfully and patiently, is not only good spiritual discipline, but also lowers our risk of holiday-induced anxiety. We’re all waiting for something, so why not use these experiences to enhance our Advent disciplines, by waiting prayerfully? If we keep an Advent calendar, we have great opportunities to witness to the secular culture about Christ. But, if we choose not to take part in that office Christmas party, and are asked why we aren’t participating, we can say that, for us, it isn’t Christmas yet: we are observing Advent, quietly waiting for Christ, not just for His birthday on Christmas Day, but for His second coming in glory.
December 18
Friday
3rd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Jer 23:5–8
Yahweh further says, “The day is coming when I will raise up a king who is David’s righteous successor. He will rule wisely and govern with justice and righteousness. That will be a grandiose era when Judah will enjoy peace and Israel will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-our-justice!”
“The days are coming,” says Yahweh, “when people shall no longer swear by Yahweh as the living God who freed the people of Israel from the land of Egypt. Rather, they will swear by Yahweh as the living God who restored the descendants of Israel from the northern empire and from all the lands where he had driven them, to live again in their own land!”
Gospel: Mt 1:18–25
This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.
While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him ‘Jesus’ for he will save his people from their sins.”
All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do and he took his wife to his home. So she gave birth to a son and he had not had marital relations with her. Joseph gave him the name of Jesus.
Commentary
Advent is when peace becomes something visible. We long for peace, as Christians spend this time preparing for the coming of the Prince of Peace. We long, not solely for peace on earth, the absence of conflict, but also, more deeply, for the peace of Christ. When we celebrate Mass each Sunday, we pray for this peace; and we even exchange a sign of it before we approach the table of the Eucharist.
As deep and personal as our desire is, faith tells us that peace is essentially social. As we move toward the feast of Christ among us, we are challenged to broaden our understanding of peace and to open our hearts all the wider. We long for peace in the hearts of those struggling with poverty of all sorts: those in the developing world and those, struggling in the shadows of the developed world. We pray for displaced people everywhere. This Advent, let us open our hearts for peace. Let our prayer for Christ’s coming be a longing for wars to end; for troops to return to their families. But let it also be a longing for justice, a longing that things set awry will be made right.
December 19
Saturday
3rd Week of Advent
1st Reading: Jdg 13:2–7, 24–25a
There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife could not bear children. The Angel of Yahweh appeared to this woman and said to her, “You have not borne children and have not given birth, but see, you are to conceive and give birth to a son. Because of this, take care not to take wine or any alcoholic drink, nor to eat unclean foods from now on, for you shall bear a son who shall be a Nazirite of Yahweh from the womb of his mother. Never shall his hair be cut for he is consecrated to Yahweh. He shall begin the liberation of the Israelites from the Philistine oppression.”
The woman went to her husband and told him, “A messenger of God who bore the majesty of an angel spoke to me. I did not ask him where he came from nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me: ‘You are to conceive and give birth to a son. Henceforth, you shall not drink wine or fermented drinks, nor eat anything unclean, for your son shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb of his mother until the day of his death’.”
The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew and Yahweh blessed him. Then the Spirit of Yahweh began to move him when he was in Mahane Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Gospel: Lk 1:5–25
Now, while Zechariah and those with him were fulfilling their office, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the time of offering incense all the people were praying outside; it was then that an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. On seeing the angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him.
But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you and many will rejoice at his birth.
He himself will open the way to the Lord with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; he will reconcile fathers and children, and lead the disobedient to wisdom and righteousness, in order to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I believe this? I am an old man and my wife is elderly, too.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I am the one sent to speak to you and bring you this good news! My words will come true in their time. But you would not believe and now you will be silent and unable to speak until this has happened.”
Meanwhile the people waited for Zechariah, and they were surprised that he delayed so long in the sanctuary. When he finally appeared, he could not speak to them and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He remained dumb and made signs to them.
When his time of service was completed, Zechariah returned home and some time later Elizabeth became pregnant. For five months she kept to herself, remaining at home, and thinking, “What is the Lord doing for me! This is his time for mercy and for taking away my public disgrace.”
Commentary
The only Christ, whom many people in poverty will see, read or know about, this Advent, is in those who give, not just material gifts, but their time, heart and knowledge. During Advent, we must do more than just write a check; we need to meet with people in poverty and we must hold each other accountable. Christ came and gave the world hope, when there was despair; out there in the cruel world, there are plenty of lives that we should touch.
Our children are our future leaders. We fail many of them as they work through their turbulent adolescence, many without the security of a loving family life. The destructive behavior of children often reflects the ills of our society; they are often the scapegoats of those ills. But, that doesn’t excuse them from learning about the accountable consequences of their actions. For them to reach the point of feeling remorseful, they need consistent discipline, limits to their activities and a lot of support from caring people in our community. This Advent, we should seize any opportunity to teach our children respect for the unique persons they are, with their huge gifts from God of potential and talent!
