1st reading: Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11.»I rejoice with the Lord and rejoice with my God,» said Isaiah,
«My spirit rejoices in God my Savior,» said Mary.
2nd reading: 1Thess. 5:16-24 «Rejoice always,» said St. Paul.
GOSPEL St. John 1:6-8,19-28: «I am the voice crying in the wilderness, «Make straight the way of the Lord.»
«On the path of this new Advent we have arrived at Joy Sunday and the church calls it «Gaudete» a Latin word meaning «rejoice». In the context of Joy Sunday in Advent, the Church calls it so to highlight the importance of the joy we feel as we approach the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It is a reminder that, despite difficulties and challenges, there is always reason for hope and joy.
Let us unravel from these texts of the liturgy the invitation to joy as a backdrop.
The first reading, taken from the prophet Isaiah, allows us to go back to the Gospel of Isaiah
Let us unravel from these texts of the liturgy the invitation to joy as a backdrop.
The first reading, taken from the prophet Isaiah, allows us to go back to the Gospel of Isaiah:
Let us bring to our memory that biblical text taken from the gospel of St. Luke 4, 18-22, when Jesus arriving in the synagogue on Shabbat, took the scroll of Isaiah, proclaimed just this chapter that we have read today and that in his expressions defines the Messiah and his commission ratifying first that he is anointed by the Spirit and that he has been sent to.
Give good news to the poor
- Heal the brokenhearted.
- To proclaim amnesty to the captives and prisoners of freedom.
- to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Let us dwell on this last assignment of the sending. José Antonio Pagola, a Spanish theologian and writer, interprets Jesus’ proclamation of «the year of the Lord» in the context of the Jubilee, an Old Testament concept. In his book «Jesus, Historical Approach,» Pagola explains that Jesus alludes to the jubilee, a special sabbatical year celebrated every 50 years, during which the release of debts and the restoration of property were proclaimed.
For Jesus, proclaiming the «year of the Lord» symbolized a message of liberation, justice and integral restoration for people. Jesus was announcing a profound transformation in people’s lives, both spiritually and socially, focusing on mercy and equity.
There is no doubt that the commissioning of the Messiah was news that would fill his fellow countrymen with joy and hope, feelings that were almost inconceivable in the context of a time in history when the oppressive yoke of the Roman Empire and its alliances (Pax Romana) was being experienced.
The liturgy of this Third Sunday of Advent continues presenting to us in the psalm the figure of Mary in the proclamation of the Magnificat, her reason for joy, her deepest joy: To know that the Lord has looked upon the humility of his handmaid and in her all the little and simple ones the «Anawin» (Poor of Yahweh).
Finally, in the Gospel of this Third Sunday we continue to identify in John the prophet who today defines himself as the witness of light, the one who, as the biblical text says, confesses and does not deny that he is not the Messiah. He who prepares the way for the Lord. The Voice that cries out in the desert: «Make the Paths Straight».
A few days ago Monsignor Manilla said beautifully in this regard: «John was the Voice, Jesus the Word» Do we lend our Voice to the Word?
S. Sandra Milena Velásquez B, tc