Readings for December 11, 2022
Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 7
It-Tielet Ħadd tal-Avvent
Reading 1 ISAIAH 35:1-6a, 10
The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Iżaija 35:1-6a,10
Ħa jifirħu d-deżert u l-art maħruqa; ħa jifraħ ix-xagħri u jwarrad, ħa jwarrad bħar-ranġis. Ħa tifraħ fuq li tifraħ, taqbeż u tgħanni. Sebħ il-Libanu jingħata lilha, il-ġmiel tal-Karmel u ta’ Saron. Għad jaraw is-sebħ tal-Mulej, il-ġmiel ta’ Alla tagħna. Qawwu l-idejn mitruħa; saħħu l-irkopptejn imriegħda. Għidu lil dawk b’qalbhom imbeżżgħa: “Agħmlu l-ħila, la tibżgħux! Araw, Alla tagħkom ġej jitħallas; il-ħlas ta’ Alla wasal; Hu stess ġej biex isalvakom”. Imbagħad jinfetħu għajnejn l-għomja, jinfetħu widnejn it-torox. Imbagħad iz-zopp jaqbeż bħal għażżiela u lsien l-imbikkma jinħall bil-ferħ. Jerġgħu lura l-mifdijin tal-Mulej, u jidħlu f’Sijon jgħajtu bil-ferħ, b’ferħ ta’ dejjem fuq rashom. Il-ferħ u l-hena jiksbu, u jgħibu swied il-qalb u l-krib. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 146(147):7,8-9a,9bc-10
R/. (Iż 34:4): Ejja, Mulej, ħa ssalvana.
Il-Mulej iżomm kelmtu għal dejjem,
jagħmel ħaqq lill-maħqurin,
u jagħti l-ħobż lill-imġewħin.
Il-Mulej jeħles lill-imjassrin. R/.
Il-Mulej jiftaħ għajnejn l-għomja;
il-Mulej jerfa’ lill-milwijin;
il-Mulej iħobb lill-ġusti;
il-Mulej iħares lill-barranin. R/.
Hu jżomm lill-iltim u lill-armla,
imma lill-ħżiena jħarbtilhom triqathom.
Il-Mulej isaltan għal dejjem;
Alla tiegħek, Sijon, minn nisel għal nisel. R/.
Reading 2 JAMES 5:7-10
Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Qari 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Ġakbu Appostlu 5:7-10
Ħuti, stabru, sa ma jasal il-Mulej. Ara, il-bidwi joqgħod b’sabar kbir jistenna l-frott għażiż tal-art, sa ma jieħu x-xita bikrija u mwaħħra. Stabru intom ukoll; qawwu qalbkom, għax il-miġja tal-Mulej hi fil-qrib. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel MATTHEW 11:2-11
When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me." As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 11:2-11
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġwanni, li kien fil-ħabs, sama’ bl-għemejjel tal-Messija, u bagħat għandu tnejn mid-dixxipli tiegħu u qallu: “Inti huwa dak li għandu jiġi, jew nistennew lil ħaddieħor?”. Ġesù wieġeb u qalilhom: “Morru agħtu lil Ġwanni l-aħbar ta’ dak li qegħdin tisimgħu u taraw: l-għomja jaraw, iz-zopop jimxu, il-lebbrużi jfiqu, it-torox jisimgħu, il-mejtin iqumu, l-Evanġelju jixxandar lill-foqra. Hieni hu min ma jitfixkilx minħabba fija”. Meta dawk telqu, Ġesù qabad ikellem lin-nies fuq Ġwanni: “Xi ħriġtu taraw fid-deżert? Qasba tixxejjer mar-riħ? Xi ħriġtu taraw? Raġel liebes fin? Dawk li jilbsu fin fil-palazzi tas-slaten issibhom. Mela xi ħriġtu taraw? Profeta? Iva, ngħidilkom, anzi xi ħaġa iżjed minn profeta. Dan hu li fuqu hemm miktub: ‘Ara, jiena nibgħat qablek il-ħabbâr tiegħi biex iħejji triqtek quddiemek’. Tassew, ngħidilkom, li fost ulied in-nisa ħadd ma qam akbar minn Ġwanni l-Battista. U b’danakollu l-iżgħar wieħed fis-Saltna tas-Smewwiet hu akbar minnu”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Spirituality of the Readings - Third Sunday of Advent, Year A
Gifts -
I have a new watch, an inexpensive one. The old one had worn out. This new one has something I like very much, a second hand. I can watch the seconds tick by and I can “time” anything I want to.
But I also realise that we will miss the present by looking backward or forward too much.
Who wants to time things?
Well I do, especially when I get caught by a traffic light that changes to red just as I pull within a half a block. I glance at my wrist to see just how long the light sits on red. Some of them last—listen to this—a minute and fifteen seconds!
Imagine having to sit with nothing to do when you are late and in a hurry, with a mechanical device deciding for an entire minute and a quarter the second when you are allowed to go on!
As you can see, I need to put on some patience.
The Second Reading for Sunday says it this way:
See the farmer await the yield of the soil.
He watches it in winter and in spring rain.*
The farmer is attentive and tolerant because crops do not come up in a day. He has learned patience through many seasons.
How about those of us who are not farmers? How do we “put on” patience?
I think there are two parts to the answer.
First, I have noticed that when I am being impatient I am also failing to notice what is happening in the present time. I am stuck in the future worrying about what will occur and how to make it happen; about where I am supposed to be by now; and how the light will not let me go.
And a lot of us reside in the past instead of the present. We re-hash mistakes we made and finally think of a retort that would have topped someone's nasty remark, and so on.
The present moment is the only one we actually live in. The precious goodness of God makes everything exist right now, not tomorrow or yesterday, which are only memories or projections. We will miss the present by looking backward or forward too much.
Second, we need to recall that God makes the future safe. God has promised that, in ways we cannot understand, the crooked will be made straight. Our gnarled lives will be filled with goodness.
Patience is really a way of remembering the constant love of God, no matter how frightening or disconcerting the future may seem or may actually be. We need to slow down, look around, and live.
Think about Mary’s “be it done unto me,” her lifelong daily prayer, her nine months, her place at the cross. Notice that, when the angel gave her the annunciation, she did not demand guarantees and full details. She relied on God's love. She waited.
And, the Second Person of the Trinity, alive to earth’s ways, waited until it was time to come into the world as Jesus. Then when he sensed that he was hungry, he suckled at his mother's breast, burping only when the occasion presented itself, not before. And think of his years of being just a carpenter day after day. God's beloved, making a chair!
But that is Advent.
Christ is with you. His presence needs to grow.
Just open. Watch for the signs.
Patience, people!
////////////////////////////////////// Copyright © 2022, John B. Foley, SJ - All rights reserved.
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