Cycle C - Year II:

13 December 2015: Third Sunday of Advent
(Liturgical color: Pink or Rose)

Gospel: Read  Luke 3:10-18


Feeling the joy...

"Almost there, but not quite".... that's a good way to describe our Advent journey as we cross the Third Sunday of Advent.

The liturgical theme for this Sunday is "rejoicing" because we are mid-way in our Advent pilgrimage and thus so close to the big event that is Christmas day.

On the third week of our Advent walk, the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday or the Sunday of
Rejoicing. The entrance antiphon in the Mass begins with St. Paul's exhortation: "Rejoice in the Lord always." (Phil 4:4) Indeed the readings for this Sunday tell us there is reason to rejoice as we prepare and await the joyful expectation for the coming of Jesus, our Lord and Messiah.

In the Gospel narrative, we hear again about John the Baptist, preaching his message of repentance. But this time, John goes down to specifics in his message. While the people showed good intentions of listening to him, they must also show firm resolutions to put to action their good intentions.

So the crowds asked John, "What should we do?" (Lk 3:10) 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!" (Lk 3:11) To the tax collectors, John has this to say, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed." And to soldiers, John admonished, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." (Lk 3:13, 14)

We celebrate the joy of the coming of our Messiah by also asking ourselves, "What should we do".... in our own time... in our particular situations?

We realize that true joy is not in material possessions; it is not found in seeking one's own interest and pleasure. Rather, our joy is made complete by preparing ourselves, our minds and heart, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas day, through repentance of our sins. For a clean heart and a pure mind, is the beginning of our spiritual growth.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.


Ad Jesum per Mariam!