Third Sunday of Advent (year B)
IS 61:1-2, 10-11
1 THES 5:16-24
JN 1:6-8, 19-28
Opening the Word: Rejoice always
A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
only a witness to speak for the light.
This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied:
a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for the Lord.’
Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.
God the Judge… To Save
Introduction
The Hebrew language is quite poor in synonyms. To express joy twenty-seven words are used in the Bible. In the Holy Scriptures there are the desperate cries of those who do not find an answer to the mystery of pain, but more often they echo the “shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the feasting throng” (Ps 42:5) and hymns of thanksgiving to God: “My heart will rejoice on seeing your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me” (Ps 13:6).
In the Gospels we encounter people with sad faces: the rich young man who has not the courage to detach his heart from his possessions (Mt 19:22), the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:17). At times Jesus’ face also darkens (Mk 3:5; Mt 26:38). But an atmosphere of joy pervades in all the pages of the Gospel, from the promise of a son to Zechariah “he will bring joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth” (Lk 1:14), to the “great joy” announced to the shepherds (Lk 2:10-11), to the joy of Zacchaeus who receives the Lord in his house (Lk 19:6), until the disciples’ sheer joy on the day of Passover (Jn 20:20).
But there is a character that we can scarcely imagine with a beaming face: John, the son of Zechariah, the preacher in charge of preparing the coming of the Lord. He lived in the desert and when he went out, it seems he did it only to frighten, to threaten fire from heaven, to root out trees, tremendous punishments (Mt 3:7-12). But he too was once happy. When he recognized the voice of the bridegroom who was to come he exclaimed: “The friend of the bridegroom rejoices to hear the bridegroom’s voice. My joy is now full” (Jn 3:29).
The coming of Jesus is always accompanied by joy and no face—not even that of John the Baptist—can be sad.
Gospel Reflection
“Light is pleasant and it is good for the eyes to see the sun” (Eccl 11:7). Positive resonances and pleasant emotions are associated with light. “To come to the light” is synonymous with being born (Job 3:16), “to see the light” means “to be alive” (Job 3:20).
This symbolism, present throughout the Bible, is resumed in the New Testament, especially by John, the evangelist. From the prologue he presents the coming of Christ into the world as the appearance of light: “Whatever has come to be found life in him; life for which human beings, was also light, light that shines in the darkness, light that darkness could not overcome” (Jn 1:4-5).
Even the figure of John the Baptist is introduced with the same image. In the first part of today’s passage (vv. 6-8), he is identified as the man sent by God to testify to the light. He has such an important mission that, in just two verses, it is mentioned three times.
At the end of the first century A.D., when John wrote his gospel, there were still many people who called themselves disciples of John the Baptist. They were heavily influenced by him as the supreme model of life, even in opposition to Jesus. That’s why the evangelist pressed to clarify the position of the precursor vis-à-vis with Christ. The Baptist was not the light of the world. He was just the first to recognize “the true light that enlightens everyone” (Jn 1:9). He was not deceived by the flattery of those who, surprised by his teachings and admired his honesty, were convinced that he was the Messiah. He remained at his post, kept himself faithful to his mission.
During Advent his testimony is proposed to us. As he did with his contemporaries, today he points out to all people the light of the world, Christ. Those who follow him will not walk in darkness, but will have life (Jn 8:12). His call is appropriate because the sparkles of the proposed deceptive life are countless and seductive. They glow but soon fade away and turn out to be slivers of death. Only the light of Christ indicates the true values, those on which one will never regret of having bet one’s life.
In the second part of the passage (vv. 19-23) a committee, made up of priests and Levites is introduced. They were sent by the religious authorities to get the Baptist’s explanation about his identity and behavior. In Jerusalem they began to be concerned about his growing prestige, the emotions he aroused, and the hopes awakened by his preaching. Three times the spiritual leaders of the people anxiously asked him the same question: “Who are you?” Many rumors are spreading about him: there are those who consider him the Messiah, other take him as “the prophet” who, according to the promise of Moses, God would raise up to guide Israel (Deut 18:1-5). There are some who claim that he is Elijah restored to life.
The Baptist is loyal and does not accept identifications, honors, titles that did not belong to him. He declares to be neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the great prophet. He defines himself simply as a “voice” crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord.
It is hard to imagine something more fleeting and ephemeral of the item that, as soon as he communicated the message, it disappears without leaving a trace. The Baptist does not want the focus on himself, but on Christ: “It is necessary that he increase but that I decrease”—he will say later (Jn 3:30). His mission carried out, he is happy to step aside. He makes sure that no misunderstandings arise; he shuns any form of “cult of personality.”
To recognize Christ-light, the testimony of someone who, like the Baptist, was able to discover his identity is necessary. Faith is not born of reasoning or pseudo-revelations, but from listening: “How can they believe in him—asks Paul—without having first heard of him? And how will they hear about him if no one preaches about him?” (Rom 10:14-17).
The Baptist has also made a journey of faith. He acknowledges that he gradually came to discover Christ, “I myself did not know him. Yes I have seen. And I declare that this is the Chosen One of God” (Jn 1:29-34).
This spiritual journey is repeated in the life of every believer. It starts from the discovery of the true identity of Christ. Then one arrives to the conviction that deserves full faith. Finally one becomes a witness of one’s faith, as Paul said, “We also believe and so we speak” (2 Cor 4:13).
In the third section (vv. 26-28) there is first of all the call of John the Baptist: “Among you stands one whom you do not know.” This disclaimer seems inexplicable.
For centuries Israel had been waiting for the Messiah but when she saw him arrive she did not recognize him. A veil prevented the eyes of these people to grasp the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth. A dense fog, consisting of religious beliefs inculcated by the spiritual guides, blurred the minds and weighed the hearts down. Israel was persuaded of constituting a holy community, living separated and despised the other peoples. She considered the election a privilege, not a vocation for service. She waited for a Messiah who would draw himself at her side, not to bring salvation to the Gentiles, but to destroy them. The Baptist was able to open the eyes of some of his contemporaries. In this time of Advent, he addresses to each of us an invitation to recognize Jesus as the only light and to avoid “the way of the wicked, is total darkness” (Prov 4:19).
The last statement of the precursor: “Although he comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal” (v. 27) is commonly understood as a statement of humility. Instead, it is an image, a bit mysterious to us, but clear to the interlocutors of the Baptist who knew the law and the traditions. To remove the sandal was an act covered by marriage legislation of Israel. It meant appropriating the right to marry a woman who belonged to another (Deut 25:5-10; Rt 4:7).
By declaring not being able to untie the straps of the sandals, the Baptist states that he has no right to steal the bride of Christ. He is the Messiah; he is the God-with-us who comes to celebrate the wedding with humanity. Then the precursor will clearly express, without resorting to metaphors: “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. Only the bridegroom has the bride, but the friend of the bridegroom stands by and listens and rejoice to hear the bridegroom’s voice. My joy is now full” (Jn 3:28-29).
Advent is the time when the bride (humanity, the church) is preparing to welcome the groom and the Baptist is the friend of the bridegroom, in charge of promoting this encounter of love.
For many Jews, Jesus was an insignificant character. He has passed without their realizing that he had come to bring them joy, to get the party started. The danger of noticing late his presence looms today.
Fr. Fernando Armellini
https://sundaycommentaries.wordpress.com
Joy, prayer and gratitude
In recent Sundays the liturgy has emphasized what it means to assume an attitude oiao f vigilance and what preparing the way of the Lord entails, concretely. On this Third Sunday of Advent, called the “Sunday of joy”, the liturgy invites us to welcome the spirit with which all this happens, that is, precisely, joy. Saint Paul invites us to prepare for the coming of the Lord, by assuming three attitudes. Listen carefully: three attitudes. First, constant joy; second, steadfast prayer; third, continuous thanksgiving. Constant joy, steadfast prayer and continuous thanksgiving.
The first attitude, constant joy: “Rejoice always” (1 Thess 5:16), Saint Paul says. This means always being joyful, even when things do not go according to our wishes; but there is that profound joy, which is peace: that too is joy; it is within. And peace is a joy “at the ground level”, but it is a joy. Distress, difficulties and suffering pass through each person’s life, we are all familiar with them; and so often the reality that surrounds us seems to be inhospitable and barren, similar to the desert in which the voice of John the Baptist resonated, as today’s Gospel passage recalls (cf. Jn 1:23). But the very words of the Baptist reveal that our joy rests on a certainty, that this desert is inhabited: “among you” — he says — “stands one whom you do not know” (v. 26). It refers to Jesus, the Father’s envoy who comes, as Isaiah stresses, “to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (61:1-2). These words, which Jesus will speak in his discourse at the synagogue of Nazareth (cf. Lk 4:16-19), clarify that his mission in the world consists in the liberation from sin and from the personal and social slavery that it produces. He has come to the earth to restore to mankind the dignity and freedom of the Children of God — which only he can communicate — and thereby to give joy.
The joy which characterizes the awaiting of the Messiah is based on steadfast prayer: this is the second attitude. Saint Paul says: “pray constantly” (1 Thess 5:17). By praying we can enter a stable relationship with God, who is the source of true joy. A Christian’s joy is not bought; it cannot be bought. It comes from faith and from the encounter with Jesus Christ, the reason for our happiness. And when we are rooted in Christ, the closer we are to Jesus, the more we find inner peace, even among everyday contradictions. For this reason a Christian, having encountered Jesus, cannot be a prophet of misfortune, but a witness and herald of joy. A joy to share with others; an infectious joy that renders the journey of life less toilsome.
The third attitude Paul points to is continuous thanksgiving, which is grateful love towards God. Indeed, he is very generous to us, and we are invited to always recognize his beneficence, his merciful love, his patience and goodness, thus living in unceasing thanksgiving.
Joy, prayer and gratitude are three attitudes that prepare us to experience Christmas in an authentic way. Joy, prayer and gratitude. Everyone together, let us say: joy, prayer and gratitude. In this last period of the Season of Advent, let us entrust ourselves to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary. She is a “cause of our joy”, not only because she begot Jesus, but because she keeps directing us to him.
Pope Francis
17/12/2014
“Rejoice!” The Lord is near!
Romeo Ballan mccj
“The one who reaches the spring first drinks the cleanest water” This Tanzanian proverb has a taste of a mountain brook about it, and awakens a feeling of joy that is typical of Advent, as we live a time of expectation and watching. Today is “Gaudete” Sunday. The liturgy calls us to joy, insistently: the call is in the Entrance Antiphon, the Collect, the First Reading, the Responsorial psalm, the Second Reading. St. Paul explains the motive for this Christian joy: “The Lord is near!” (Phil.4:4-5). According to Paul in the second Reading, joy is fed on prayer and on fidelity to the Spirit (vv.17-19). Among the characteristics of missionary spirituality, John Paul II includes, most appropriately, “the internal joy that springs from faith” (RMi 91) *
In the second Reading the Prophet addresses the people just freed from slavery: there are “joyful tidings” for the poor and the suffering, there is liberation for captives, a year of favour for all (vv. 1-2)… The people can exult for joy in the Lord, who is able to renew the world by making fresh things grow. In the Responsorial psalm Mary, the first believer, echoes this joy with here canticle of praise for the “marvels” the Almighty works in his servants. In Mary the voice of the Church echoes: a Church still on pilgrimage through joys and sorrows. Hers is the voice of all of us. Above all, there is the voice of Jesus who, in the Synagogue of Nazareth, states his program as a prophet, feeling that he is consecrated to carrying it our (Lk.4:18-21).
In the Gospel, John the Baptist has the same awareness of being “sent by God” (v.6) to prepare the way for the Lord (v.23). He acknowledges that he is only the “voice” of Another, who is greater than he is. Indeed, God is the Word; John is only his voice, because the message is not his own. He knows that power rests in the Word, and not in the spokesman. Just as the strength to grow is in the seed, not in the sower. John is the witness of this reality of Salvation. He is filled with joy; he is happy to decrease, because he knows he is only “the friend of the bridegroom”, and it right that He, the bridegroom, should increase (Jn.3:29-30). This is a powerful witness, stated in from of an official commission sent down from Jerusalem to interrogate him. John the Baptist, in this as in other situations, is a truly authentic model of a missionary, as far as martyrdom.
In the reality of Mission, the transforming power comes from God. The Word is His; the missionary is called to be the voice, to scatter the seed in the furrows of the world. The apostle is sent to bear witness to everything, but is not the Word, nor the seed, nor the field. The missionary is the voice, sent to speak out. “Woe betide me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!” exclaims St. Paul (1Cor.9:16). The herald is not master of the hearts that receive the message. The missionary – and indeed each Christian – makes a journey of progressive identification, like John the Baptist: first discovering the Word, then gaining strength from it, then becoming its witness and messenger. To the ends of the world!
