Cycle C - Year I:  

16 December 2018: Third Sunday of Advent

(Liturgical Color: Pink/Rose or Violet; White for Simbang Gabi)

Readings:

First Reading:        Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Second Reading:   Philippians 4:4-7

Gospel:  Please 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 a reason to rejoice as we prepare and await the joyful expectation for the coming of Jesus, our Lord and Messiah.

The Gospel narrative tells us 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 crowd 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) And 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)

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

Well, we too have to do some preparation for our Lord's coming. We have to wash ourselves clean of sin. We have to pray more and give more. We have to practice justice, generosity and compassion. We have to make our hearts a worthy dwelling place for our Lord in every way.

John's exhortation was for us to clean our way and open it wide for our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is coming to dwell in us and give us a new birth, a new baptism, a new life in the Spirit.

Are we ready for the new life in Jesus?

This Sunday also begins the beautiful tradition of Aguinaldo Masses. As we know, it is a devotional nine-day series of early dawn Masses until December 24 in honor of our Blessed Mother Mary. The Gloria is sung in these Masses  and white is the liturgical color used even on Sunday.

Let us cry out to God with joy and gladness. We should rejoice because our salvation is at hand.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!