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First Reading: Is 35:1-6, 10
Let the wilderness and the arid land rejoice,
the desert be glad and blossom.
Covered with flowers, it sings and shouts with joy,
adorned with the splendor of Lebanon,
the magnificence of Carmel and Sharon.
They, my people, see the glory of Yahweh,
the majesty of our God.
Give vigor to weary hands
and strength to enfeebled knees.
Say to those who are afraid:
"Have courage, do not fear.
See, your God comes, demanding justice.
He is the God who rewards,
the God who comes to save you."
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unsealed.
Then will the lame leap as a hart
and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout.
For water will break out in the wilderness
and streams gush forth from the desert.
For the ransomed of Yahweh will return:
with everlasting joy upon their heads,
they will come to Zion singing,
gladness and joy marching with them,
while sorrow and sighing flee away.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or: R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or: R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or: R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or: R. Alleluia.
Second Reading: Jas 5:7-10
Be patient then, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. See how the sower waits for the precious fruits of the earth, looking forward patiently to the autumn and spring rains. You also be patient and do not lose heart, because the Lord's coming is near.
Beloved, do not fight among yourselves and you will not be judged. See, the judge is already at the door. Take for yourselves, as an example of patience, the suffering of the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name.
Gospel Reading: Mt 11:2-11
When John the Baptist heard in prison about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples, asking him: "Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else?"
Jesus answered them, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life and good news is reaching the poor. And how fortunate is the one who does not take offense at me."
As the messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "When you went out to the desert, what did you expect to see? A reed swept by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? People who wear fine clothes live in palaces. What did you actually go out to see? A prophet? Yes, indeed, and even more than a prophet. He is the man of whom Scripture says: I send my messenger ahead of you to prepare the way before you.
"I tell you this: no one greater than John the Baptist has come forward among the sons of women, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Third Sunday of Advent (A)
A. There Shall Be No Poor Among You
B. Joy in the Lord's Coming
Readings:
Is 35:1-6, 10; Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11
Commentaries / Gospel Reflections from:
Preaching the Word| Sundays Into Silence | A Certain Jesus
Greeting (From the Entrance Antiphon)
Rejoice in the Lord always:
the Lord is near.
He is here among us.
May the Lord Jesus always be with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. There Shall Be No Poor Among You
Among the main signs which Jesus quotes about his being the long expected Messiah is that he brought the Good News to the poor. The prophets of the Old Testament had said that the Savior would do this. Even in the Law it had already been said "There shall be no poor among you." The poor were Jesus' great concern. We are disciples of Jesus. How much do we reach out to the poor like him? How many poor are there still among us? Let us ask our Lord in this eucharist to make us aware of the poverty around us and to make us signs of his presence to the poor.
B. Joy in the Lord's Coming
Where people hope, there is always a spirit of eager anticipation. The waiting for something great to happen brings with it a lively joy, sometimes greater than the possession of what we had been waiting for. Our joy during this Advent season comes from our awareness that the Lord is already with us and also that, if we let him, he will even become nearer to us, when we let him make us more like him. We welcome Jesus here among us.
Penitential Act
Let us ask forgiveness from the Lord
that we have closed our eyes
and have not seen or helped the plight of the poor.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you gave sight to the blind.
Make us see the distress of the poor.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you made the deaf hear.
Open our ears to the cries of the weak.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you made the lame walk.
Make us lift up those paralyzed
by their fears and failures.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us our sins, Lord
and make us more like you.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray
that people may recognize in us
that our saving God is here
(PAUSE)
Lord, God of hope and joy,
you want to come among us
and to be near to us today
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Let it become visible
that he lives among us
when we are near to one another
and bring hope and justice
especially to the poor
and to those who suffer.
May people recognize in this way
that he is the one to come
and receive him with joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: Joy to Those Who Suffer
Through his prophet, God promises that he himself will come to set his people free. Jesus will bring this hope and joy to the poor and those who suffer.
Second Reading Introduction: Be Patient: The Lord is Coming
James encourages the community, especially the poor: Do not become bitter but be patient. The Lord will save you soon.
Gospel Introduction: The Good News Proclaimed to the Poor
Jesus brings God's love to the poor and to those who suffer; in this way he fulfills what the prophet had said about the coming of God's new world.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to Jesus our Lord that he may wait no longer to bring us the joy of living more deeply among us. Let us say: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
- We have created in our world too many deserts where love is absent. That our Lord may make our deserts fertile and let them bloom with the joy of love, we pray:
R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
- We have refused to dialogue with one another. That the Lord may open our deaf ears and give speech to our silent lips, to bring us the joy of unity and understanding, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
- We have built prisons for one another. That the Lord who sets prisoners free may restore the freedom of all, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
- We often declare war against one another. That the Lord may extinguish all hatred and bring us the joy of his peace, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
- We have let the poor go hungry. That the Lord may move us to share our food and love with one another, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
- We have let our faith dry up. That the Lord may open our hearts
and restore the joy of our faith in his presence. Let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus, come and save us. Without you we are powerless, but with you we can do the impossible. For you are our Lord for ever.
R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in this eucharistic celebration
your Son comes among us
to share himself with us
in the sign of bread to be broken
and a cup of joy to be passed around.
Make us deeply aware
how much giving himself and bringing joy
is Jesus' way of coming.
Give us the courage to do for others
what he did and still does for us,
that he may be alive among us
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With thanks to the Father we welcome Christ in our midst in this eucharist and we pray that he may become visible in us.
Preface of Advent III
(Note. By way of a model, we give here Preface III for Advent,
found in the official Missal for German-speaking countries as one
of two additional Advent prefaces.)
We give you thanks, Father in heaven,
and we praise you through our Lord Jesus Christ.
You promised him as the Savior
to a humanity gone astray.
His truth is a light for those who seek,
his power gives strength to the weak,
his holiness brings forgiveness to sinners.
For he is the Savior of the world
whom you sent because you are faithful.
And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven
we proclaim your glory
and join in their unending hymn of praise. R/ Holy, holy,...
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
With Jesus, we pray to our Father in heaven
the trusting prayer of the poor,
who know that all good things come
from the hands of God: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from the evil of sin,
from the blindness that closes our eyes
to you and to the needs of the poor.
Open our ears to your word
and to the wants of those around us.
Make us walk in your ways
and set us free from our selfishness.
Help us to prepare in joy and hope
the liberating coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus the Lord,
who proclaimed the Good News to the poor,
freedom to prisoners,
and joy to those in sorrow.
Happy are we to receive him with joy. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
you have entrusted to us, your people,
the mission of Jesus, your Son.
Help us to strengthen the weary,
to give hope to the discouraged,
to be near to the poor and the weak
and to lift up, with the gentleness of Jesus,
those sitting down by the roadside of life.
But remember us too,
for we are but weak and fallible people,
and stay with us
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
God has shown us in Jesus
his concern for all that is weak and wounded.
If Jesus is alive among us,
he wants to extend this care through us.
May the Lord continue to come in our world
through our love and compassion,
and may God bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us be these days each other's support and joy.
R/ Thanks be to God.
