Texts taken from the “On Your Word” Daily Missal November-December 2024

3rd Sunday of Advent (C) – “Gaudete”
3rd week, alternating Psalter

FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Zephaniah (Zep 3:14-17)
Rejoice, daughter of Zion, shout for joy, Israel, exult and acclaim with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has revoked your condemnation, he has driven away your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear no misfortune anymore. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, Zion, do not let your hands grow weak! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you, renew you with his love, and exult over you with shouts of joy.” – The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the first reading

Let us imagine the joy of God, described so vividly by the prophet Zephaniah. God celebrates because he sees Israel rejoicing, freed from the enemy that threatened it. In a sense, God “causes” his own joy by freeing his children from the dangers of war. The same happens to us: for example, a father buys a wonderful gift for his son; on the way home he looks forward to the moment when he can give it to him and, imagining the boy’s astonished, dreamy expression, he rejoices inwardly, happy simply to make the other person happy. If this is true of human beings, how much more so of God. He frees his people from invasion and rejoices, the text says. Before the solemnity of Christmas, the Church asks us to pause for a moment and consider our liberation, not from an armed army, but from the power of sin and eternal death. This Sunday is called “Gaudete” for this reason, and we rejoice because God becomes man in Bethlehem, offering us the possibility of living his life, something that, after the sin of Adam and Eve in Eden, had been barred and lost to us.

SECOND READING

From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Philippians (Phil 4:4-7)
Brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again: rejoice. Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every circumstance, make your requests known to God through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the second reading

Is it possible to rejoice always when there are so many misfortunes, problems, conflicts, and difficulties in my life? If misfortunes keep happening to me, if nothing ever goes right, how can Saint Paul expect me to rejoice always? Don Abbondio used to say that one cannot simply give oneself courage, but I would add that one cannot invent or give oneself joy either. The answer lies in the fact that our joy does not come from events that are more or less favorable in life, but comes from within, from what we are “inside.” If we are in God’s grace, we believe that God lives in us and communicates his life to us: eternal life, which is love, light, and peace in the Holy Spirit. Those who are very close to God, even when suffering, are happy because they possess life within themselves. Those who are without God, distant from him or opposed to him, must necessarily make human joy depend on external events (that the weather is fine, that business is going well, that one enjoys good health, etc.). The difference is enormous and, in fact, Saint Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord.” And it is Christian joy that conquers the world!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 3:10-18 )
At that time, the crowds questioned John, saying: “What should we do?” He answered them: “Whoever has two tunics should give to the person who has none, and whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and asked him: “Teacher, what should we do?” And he said to them: “Do not collect more than what has been prescribed for you.” Some soldiers also questioned him: “And what should we do?” He replied: “Do not mistreat anyone or extort anything from anyone; be satisfied with your pay.” Since the people were awaiting the Messiah and all were wondering in their hearts whether John might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying: “I baptize you with water; but one who is mightier than I is coming, and I am not worthy to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He holds the winnowing fork in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” With many other exhortations John proclaimed the good news to the people. – The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the day

The simplest things to do ultimately turn out to be the most difficult, because they ask us to live out fraternal charity rather than perform heroic deeds. To prepare for the arrival of Jesus, John the Baptist urges soldiers to be satisfied with their pay and those who have an abundance of possessions to share them with those who have none. Difficult? No, but human beings are inclined toward selfishness, and to encounter God they must work on themselves (that is, convert). If the condition John the Baptist had required had been the performance of some extraordinary act, perhaps many would have preferred it, but sometimes heroic deeds can also nourish self-love. Therefore, it is simple, elementary, ordinary charity that opens the door to the coming of the Lord Jesus. God is love, and he is understood through love. God is love, and he is at home wherever people love one another. Naturally, this applies to all of us today as well. If, upon leaving Holy Mass (this is just one of many examples), I realize that I have excess possessions while one of my relatives is in need, I will feel moved to help them. This costs us a great deal because we do not see it as something so necessary. Yet it is.