THE WORD
FIRST READING: Is 35,1-6a.10
The wilderness and the parched land will exult;
the Arabah will rejoice and bloom;
like the crocus it shall bloom abundantly,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen hands that are feeble,
make fi rm knees that are weak,
Say to the fearful of heart:
Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God, he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense he comes to save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall see,
and the ears of the deaf be opened;
then the lame shall leap like a stag,
and the mute tongue sing for joy.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy;
they meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning flee away.
SECOND READING: Jas 5,7-10
Be patient, therefore, 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, 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, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
GOSPEL: Mt 11,2-11
When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him 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 fi ne clothing? Those who wear fi ne 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.”
IN OTHER WORDS
The third Sunday of Advent has traditionally been called “Gaudete Sunday”. “Gaudete” is Latin for “Rejoice”, and this word appears several times in today’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah. The “rejoicing” is due to the fact that, as all three readings indicate, the first signs of the coming of the one awaited can already be seen, and therefore the time of waiting is now coming to an end.
The time of waiting can indeed seem interminable if there are no visible signs of the arrival of the thing or person awaited. Indeed, John the Baptist in prison had begun to have doubts. Has his time of waiting come to an end, or should he still wait some more? How long was he still going to wait? Was Jesus the awaited Messiah or should he still wait for someone else?
Jesus tells John’s disciples that John should see in his words and deeds the signs of the coming of the Messiah. Echoing Is 35:4-6 (the rst reading) and 61:1, Jesus tells John’s disciples: ”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.”
Like John, people today can also feel that our waiting for God’s Kingdom of justice, peace and love has become too long. If they do not see signs of its coming, they can grow weary in their waiting and give up hope. But, indeed, signs of God’s Kingdom are not lacking in today’s world.
For God’s Kingdom is present wherever workers receive a just and living wage; wherever farmers acquire a piece of land they can call their own; wherever squatters receive decent and humane housing; wherever the rights of the tribal communities are respected; and above all, wherever men and women attain a measure of human dignity required to become children of the Father. The signs of God’s Kingdom may be shrouded in lowliness and in their apparent non-religious character. That is why, there is need for prophets to point these signs out to people.
Like John, present-day disciples of Jesus are called to be prophets in our day, that is, called to discern and point out the signs of God’s Kingdom, and, above all, called to BE signs of God’s Kingdom through works of justice and peace. Christmas, the feast of the birth of him who is God’s Kingdom in person, is a time to renew our response to this call.
- Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD | DWIMS, Tagaytay City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
