December 16, 2018

Third Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 9

It-Tielet Ħadd tal-Avvent

Reading 1 ZEPhaniah 3:14-18A

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.

Qari I - mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Sofonija 3, 14-18a

Għajjat bil-ferħ ta’ qalbek, bint Sijon, Iżrael, samma’ leħnek! Infexx fl-hena u ifraħ b’qalbek kollha, bint Ġerusalemm! Neħħa l-Mulej minn fuqek is-sentenza li kellek kontrik, keċċa l-għedewwa tiegħek. Is-sultan t’Iżrael, il-Mulej, hu f’nofsok; ma jkollokx iżjed ħsara minn xiex tibża’. Dakinhar jgħidu lil Ġerusalemm: “Tibżax, Sijon, tħallix idejk jintelqu! Il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, qiegħed f’nofsok,gwerrier li jsalva; minħabba fik jithenna b’hena kbir, fi mħabbtu jġeddek, jinfexx minħabba fik f’għajjat ta’ ferħ, bħalkieku f’jum ta’ festa”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm ISaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Salm Responsorjali Isaija 12, 2-3.4bċd. 5-6

R/. (6): Kbir hu f’nofsok il-Qaddis ta’ Iżrael

Alla s-salvazzjoni tiegħi,

jiena nittama u ma jkollix mniex nibża’.

Għax qawwieti u għanjieti hu l-Mulej,

għalija sar is-salvazzjoni.

Kollkom ferħana

timlew l-ilma mill-għejun tas-salvazzjoni. R/.

Roddu ħajr lill-Mulej, sejħu ismu,

għarrfu lill-ġnus bl-għemejjel tiegħu,

xandru li ismu huwa fl-għoli. R/.

Għannu lill-Mulej għax għamel ħwejjeġ kbar;

ħa jkun dan magħruf mal-art kollha.

Aqbeż bil-ferħ, għanni,

int li tgħammar f’Sijon,

għax kbir hu f’nofsok il-Qaddis ta’ Iżrael. R/.

Reading 2 PHILippians 4:4-7

Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all nderstanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Qari II mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 4, 4-7

Ħuti, ifirħu dejjem fil-Mulej; nerġa’ ngħidilkom, ifirħu. Il-ħlewwa tagħkom, ħa jkunu jafuha l-bnedmin kollha. Il-Mulej qorob! Tħabbtu raskom b’xejn. Fit-talb kollu tagħkom itolbu u uru lil Alla xi jkollkom bżonn, u iżżuh ħajr. U s-sliem ta’ Alla, sliem li jgħaddi kulma l-moħħ jista’ jifhem, iżommilkom qalbkom u moħħkom sħaħ fi Kristu Ġesù. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel LuKe 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.

Evanġelju Qari skond San Luqa 3, 10-18

F’dak iż-żmien, in-nies kienu jistaqsu lil Ġwanni u jgħidulu: “Mela x’għandna nagħmlu?”. U huwa kien iweġibhom: “Min għandu żewġ ilbiesi, jaqsam ma’ min ma għandu xejn, u min għandu x’jiekol jagħmel l-istess”. Resqu wkoll xi pubblikani biex jitgħammdu u qalulu: “Mgħallem, x’għandna nagħmlu aħna?”. U huwa weġibhom: “Tissikkaw lil ħadd biex jagħtikom taxxi iżjed milli jmisskom tieħdu”. Staqsewh ukoll xi suldati u qalulu: “U aħna, x’għandna nagħmlu?”. U huwa weġibhom: “Tisirqu lil ħadd bit-tehdid jew bil-qerq tagħkom, u kkuntentaw ruħkom bil-paga li għandkom”. Il-poplu kien qiegħed jistenna ħerqan, u kulħadd kien jistaqsi lilu nnifsu dwar Ġwanni, jekk kienx hu l-Messija. Għalhekk Ġwanni qabad u qal lil kulħadd: “Jien, ngħid għalija, ngħammidkom bl-ilma, imma ġej wieħed aqwa minni, li ma jistħoqqlix inħollu l-qfieli tal-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u n-nar. Il-midra qiegħda f’idu, biex iderri l-qiegħa u jiġbor il-qamħ fil-maħżen tiegħu, imma t-tiben jaħarqu b’nar li ma jintefiex”. U b’ħafna twissijiet oħra kien ixandar lill-poplu l-bxara t-tajba. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Shout for Joy, O Daughter Zion!

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Advent, far from being a penitential time, is a time of rejoicing. Christians proclaim that the Messiah has indeed come and that God’s reign is at hand. During these days we are invited to quietly prepare our hearts and our lives for the coming of the Son of God in the flesh.

On this third Sunday of Advent – known as Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing – I would like to focus on two important themes found in today’s scripture readings: the biblical expression “Daughter of Zion” and what it means to “rejoice.”

The rich text of today’s first reading from the Prophet Zephaniah (3:14-18a) speaks of the Daughter of Zion, the personification of the city of Jerusalem. Let us reflect on the significance of this title of the holy city of Jerusalem and see how and why the Church appropriated the title for Mary, Mother of the Lord.

“Daughter of Zion” is the personified title of the city of Jerusalem. Zion was the name of the Jebusite citadel that later became the City of David. In the many texts of the Old Testament that speak of the Daughter of Zion, there is no real distinction to be made between a daughter of Zion and the city of Jerusalem itself.

In the Old Testament, the title “Virgin of Israel” is the same as the Daughter of Zion. The image of the Bride of the Lord is found in Hosea, chapters 1-3: It reflects the infidelity of the people to their God.

Jeremiah 3:3-4 speaks of prostitution and the infidelity of the bride. Virginity in the Old Testament is fidelity to the Covenant. In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul speaks of the Church as a pure virgin. Here, virginity is the purity of faith.

Throughout the Old Testament, it is in Zion-Jerusalem that God shall gather together all of his people. In Isaiah 35:10, the tribes of Israel shall gather in Zion. In Ezekiel 22:17-22, the prophet describes God’s purification of his people that shall take place “within” the walls of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem.

The Hebrew word used to describe this inner section of the city is beqervah, a word formed from the root qerev meaning something deep, intimate, situated deep within a person. It also means the maternal womb, the intestines, the breast, the insides of a person, and the most secret area of one’s soul, where wisdom, spirit, malice, and the Law of the Lord dwell. Therefore, the city of Jerusalem has a definite maternal character in the history of salvation.

In the Christian Tradition

The Second Vatican Council formally called Mary “Daughter of Zion” in the dogmatic constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium (#52). The Church’s appropriation of this title for the Mother of the Lord has a rich scriptural foundation. Mary illustrates the prophecies of the Old Testament that ascribed value to the eschatological role of woman as mother, both of the Messiah and of the new people of God: the individual person and the whole people being very closely united, in line with the cultural structures of Israel.

The title “Daughter of Zion” evokes the great biblical symbolism of the Messianic Zion. For the prophets, the Daughter of Zion was the spouse of the Lord when she observed the covenant. Mary’s role as Daughter of Zion, or for that matter any of her roles in the life of God’s people, can never be understood independently of Christ and of the Spirit, which he bestows upon all humanity by dying on the cross.

Lumen Gentium says that all theology and Marian piety belong to the mystery of Christ and to the mystery of the Church. Mary, Daughter of Zion, is the archetype of the Church as Bride, Virgin, and Mother. It is not only biological virginity but also spiritual virginity, which means fidelity to the Scriptures, openness toward others, and purity in faith.

Mary’s words to the servants at the wedding banquet in Cana (John 2:1-12) are an invitation to all peoples to become part of the new people of God. Mary is the new Daughter of Zion because she has invited the servants to perfectly obey Jesus the Lord. At Cana this new Daughter of Zion has spoken to all people.

At both Cana and Calvary (in John’s Gospel), Mary manifests not only her maternity and physical relationship with her Son but also her highly symbolic role as Woman and Mother of God’s people. At Calvary, more than any other place in the fourth Gospel, Mary is “Mother Zion”: her spiritual maternity begins at the foot of the cross.

As Mother Zion, she welcomes and represents not only Israel but the Church, the People of God of the New Covenant. At the foot of the cross, Mary is the mother of the new Messianic people, of all those who are one in Christ.

She who bore Jesus in her womb now takes her place in the assembly of God’s holy people. She is the new Jerusalem: in her own womb was the Temple, and all peoples shall be gathered back to the Temple, which is her Son. The Mother of Jesus is indeed the Mother of all of God’s scattered children. She is Mother of the Church. Mary is the first Daughter of Zion, leading all of God’s people on the journey toward the Kingdom.

I cannot help but recall the words of Cardinal Marc Ouellet, then Archbishop of Quebec City, in his profound, opening address to the Synod of Bishops on “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church” in October 2008: “A woman, Mary, perfectly accomplishes the divine vocation of humanity by her ‘yes’ to the Word of the Covenant and her mission. Through her divine motherhood and her spiritual motherhood, Mary appears as the permanent model and form for the Church, like the first Church.”

Rejoice in the Lord

In today’s second reading, St. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4-7; see also Philippians 2:18; 3:1; 4:4). This is the rejoicing to which St. Paul invites us and which forms the heart of the Advent season. But we must ask ourselves, what did persecuted Christians have to rejoice about?

The answer is their relationship with the Lord, which can even become stronger and more intimate in times of persecution. Their joy is not in their circumstance; indeed, it is often in spite of their circumstance. Rather it is in the Lord.

Sheer joy arises out of a deep and abiding relationship with God that carries the believer through all sorts of trials and tribulations. Rejoicing in the Lord is a sort of adoration, and adoration often takes the form of prayer. Rejoicing constantly leads to praying and praising repeatedly. Since Paul refers to giving thanks after he mentions prayer, it is probable that the term “praying” refers to petitioning God in some form, perhaps interceding for self and others in some manner.

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