THIS WEEK’S READINGS
God Speaks to Families Through the Sunday Readings
First Reading
Isaiah 61:1-2a,10-11
The Lord’s salvation will be made known to the poor and the oppressed.
Responsorial Psalm
Luke 1:46-50,53-54
My soul rejoices in my God.
Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Paul encourages the Thessalonians to rejoice and pray always.
Gospel Reading
John 1:6-8,19-28
John gives testimony that he is preaching and baptizing in order to prepare for the coming of another.
Background on the Gospel Reading
This Sunday’s Gospel invites us to continue our reflection on the person and mission of John the Baptist. Today we depart from the Gospel of Mark and read a selection from the Gospel of John.
The Gospel for today combines a brief passage from the prologue to John’s Gospel with a report about John the Baptist. As in Mark’s Gospel, the Gospel of John contains no birth narrative. Instead, John’s Gospel begins with a theological reflection that has come to be called the “prologue.” This prologue places the story of Jesus in its cosmological framework. It speaks of Jesus’ existence with God since the beginning of time. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the culmination of the Word, the light that is coming into the world’s darkness.
Following this prologue, John reports on the ministry of John the Baptist. We learn about the attention that John the Baptist received from the Jewish authorities. Messengers from the Jewish priests, the Levites and the Pharisees question John about his identity and the meaning of the baptisms that he is performing. John’s Gospel uses these questions to establish the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist. John the Baptist is not the Messiah, nor is he Elijah or the Prophet. In John’s denials, we hear echoes of the kind of messianic expectations that were common in first-century Palestine.
The only affirmative response that John the Baptist gives is when he quotes the prophet Isaiah. Upon answering the next question, John announces that the savior they seek is already among them, but as yet unrecognized. John’s response highlights for us an important Advent theme: Jesus has already come into the world as our savior. During Advent, we pray that we will be able to recognize Jesus’ presence in our midst. Advent also reminds us that Jesus will come again to fulfill the promise of salvation. We pray that we will continue to be watchful as we anticipate that great day.
The third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete, a Latin word which means “rejoice,” is taken from the entrance antiphon for Sunday’s Mass. This theme is echoed in today’s second reading from the First Letter to the Thessalonians. It is a reminder that Advent is a season of joy because our salvation is already at hand.
Family Connection
In family life, we learn to trust other people for protection and care. This experience of trust within the family enables children to believe us when we testify about our faith in Jesus. John the Baptist was believed by those who heard him because he helped them to recognize Jesus in their midst. In our family life, we hope and pray that we lead one another to recognize Jesus’ presence in our world.
As you gather as a family, recall that during the Advent season we are invited to pay particular attention to the signs of Jesus’ presence in our world. Consider some of the signs of Jesus’ presence that you have experienced. During Advent, we remember how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. Read together today’s Gospel, John 1:6-8,19-28. Discuss the signs of Jesus’ presence in our world that you named and explain what these signs tell us about God and God’s love for us. Pray together that your family will be led to recognize that Jesus is present among us. Read and pray together the psalm for today’s
Mass, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
