REJOICE... AS WE PREPARE THE WAY

Readings for Sunday, December 17, 2023

Third Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 8

Qari tat-Tielet Ħadd tal-Avvent

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 poor, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favour 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.    

Qari 1             mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Iżaija 61:1-2a,10-11

L-ispirtu ta’ Sidi l-Mulej fuqi, għax il-Mulej ikkonsagrani, biex inwassal il-bxara t-tajba lill-fqajrin, bagħatni ndewwi l-qalb miksura; biex inħabbar il-ħelsien lill-imjassrin, u lill-ħabsin il-ftuħ tal-ħabs; biex inniedi s-sena tal-grazzja tal-Mulej.  Nifraħ fuq li nifraħ bil-Mulej, taqbeż bil-ferħ ruħi b’Alla tiegħi. Għax hu libbisni bi lbies is-salvazzjoni, bil-mantar tal-ġustizzja għattieni, bħal għarus imżejjen b’kuruna, bħal għarusa tlellex bil-ġawhar tagħha. Bħalma l-art tnibbet, bħalma l-ġnien inibbet il-miżrugħ fih, hekk il-Mulej inibbet il-ġustizzja u l-foħrija, quddiem kollha kemm huma l-ġnus.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm                 LUKE 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54

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.

SALM RESPONSORJALI                 Luqa 1:46-48,49-50,53-54

R/. (Iż 61:10b): Taqbeż bil-ferħ ruħi b’Alla tiegħi.

Ruħi tfaħħar il-kobor tal-Mulej,
u l-ispirtu tiegħi jifraħ f’Alla s-Salvatur tiegħi,
għax hu xeħet għajnejh fuq iċ-ċokon tal-qaddejja tiegħu.
Iva, minn issa ’l quddiem
kull nisel isejjaħli hienja. R/.

Għax is-Setgħani għamel miegħi ħwejjeġ kbar;
qaddis hu l-isem tiegħu.
Il-ħniena tiegħu tinfirex f’kull żmien
fuq dawk li jibżgħu minnu. R/.

Mela b’kull ġid lil min hu bil-ġuħ,
u l-għonja bagħathom ’il barra b’xejn.
Ħa ħsieb Iżrael qaddej tiegħu,
għax ftakar fil-ħniena tiegħu. R/.

Reading 2                 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-24

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is t he 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 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.

 QARI 2                mill-1 Ittra lit-Tessalonkin 5:16-24

Ħuti, ifirħu dejjem, itolbu bla heda, iżżu ħajr lil Alla f’kollox. Dan hu li jrid Alla mingħandkom fi Kristu Ġesù. Ixxekklux l-Ispirtu, tmaqdrux il-profezija. Ippruvaw kollox: it-tajjeb żommuh, u, fuq kollox, warrbu kull xorta ta’ ħażen. U Alla tas-sliem iqaddiskom f’kollox, u jżommkom sħaħ bla mittiefsa fl-ispirtu, fir-ruħ u fil-ġisem, sa ma jiġi Sidna Ġesù Kristu. Fidil hu Alla li sejħilkom, u huwa jagħmel dan. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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 sent priests 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 baptise 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.

EVANĠELJU                 Qari skont San Ġwann 1:6-8,19-28

Kien hemm raġel mibgħut minn Alla, jismu Ġwanni. Dan ġie bħala xhud, biex jixhed għad-dawl, biex bih kulħadd jemmen. Ġwanni ma kienx id-dawl, imma ġie biex jixhed għad-dawl.  Ix-xhieda ta’ Ġwanni kienet din, meta l-Lhud ta’ Ġerusalemm bagħtu għandu xi qassisin u Leviti biex jistaqsuh: “Int min int?”. Hu stqarr bla ma ċaħad: “Jien m’iniex il-Messija”. Huma reġgħu staqsewh: “Mela min int? Elija?”. “M’iniex”, qalilhom. “Int il-Profeta?”. “Le”, weġibhom. Imbagħad qalulu: “Mela min int? Biex nagħtu tweġiba lil dawk li bagħtuna. Min tgħid li int?”. U hu wieġeb kif qal il-profeta Iżaija: “Jiena l-leħen ta’ wieħed jgħajjat fid-deżert: Wittu t-triq tal-Mulej”.  Issa dawk il-messaġġiera kienu min-naħa tal-Fariżej. Huma staqsewh: “Mela kif qiegħed tgħammed la m’intix il-Messija, u la Elija u lanqas il-Profeta?”. “Jiena ngħammed bl-ilma”, weġibhom Ġwanni, “imma f’nofskom hemm wieħed li intom ma tafuhx, u li ġej warajja; jien anqas ma jistħoqqli nħoll il-qafla tal-qorq tiegħu”.  Dan ġara f’Betanja, in-naħa l-oħra tal-Ġordan, fejn Ġwanni kien jgħammed. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Eight-minute Homily by Fr Tony Kadavil                                

"GAUDETE SUNDAY" -  REJOICE IN THE LORD, ALWAYS!

Introduction: 

The third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” because the Mass for today (in its original Latin text), begins with the opening antiphon: “Gaudete in Domino semper” –“Rejoice in the Lord always.” To remind ourselves that we are preparing for the very joyful occasion of the birth of Jesus, we light the rose candle  in the Advent wreath, and the priest may wear rose vestments.  The common theme of the day’s Scripture readings is one of joy and encouragement. The readings urge us to make the preparations required of us as we await the rebirth of Jesus in our hearts and lives.  Holy Scripture reminds us that the coming of Jesus, past, present, and future, is the reason for our rejoicing.

Scripture lessons: 

The Prophet Isaiah, in the first reading, encourages the Jewish exiles returning from Babylon to rejoice because their God, Yahweh, is their strong Guide, Provider and Protector. 

In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Luke 1:46 ff.) Mary rejoices in the great blessing given to her, exclaiming: “My soul glorifies the Lord; my spirit finds joy in God my Saviour.”

 St. Paul, in the second reading, advises the Thessalonian Christians to “rejoice always” by leading blameless, holy and thankful lives guided by the Holy Spirit, because Christ’s second coming is near, and he is faithful in his promise to reward them.

Sunday’s Gospel tells us that John the Baptist came to bear witness to Jesus as the Light of the world. The Baptiser wants all the Jews to rejoice because the long-expected Messiah, as the light of the world, will remove the darkness of sin from the world.  We rejoice at the humility of John the Baptiser, who tells the Sanhedrin members challenging him that he is unworthy even to become the slave of Jesus the Messiah. We also rejoice in the sincerity and commitment of John who spent himself completely in preparing people for the long-awaited Messiah. We have an additional reason to rejoice because, like John the Baptiser, we, too, are chosen to bear witness to Christ Jesus, the Light of the world.

Life message: 

We need to bear witness to Christ the Light. Our mission, as brothers and sisters of Christ and members of his Church, is to reflect Christ’s Light to others, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun.   It is especially important during the Advent season that we reflect Christ’s sharing love and his unconditional forgiveness through our lives.  There are too many people who live in darkness and poverty, and who lack real freedom because of their evil addictions and bad choices.  

There are others who are deafened and blinded by the cheap attractions of the world.  Many others feel lonely, unwanted, rejected, and marginalized.  Let us bring the true Light of Christ to illumine the lives of all these brothers and sisters during this Advent season through our sharing love, overflowing mercy, unconditional forgiveness, and humble service. 

We will be able to accomplish this witnessing mission of radiating Christ’s Light only by repenting of our sins, asking God’s pardon every day, and by renewing our lives through our daily prayers, by frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation, by attending and taking part in the Eucharistic celebration, by reading the Bible daily in meditative, prayerful fashion, and by performing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

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