Tag: Year C

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Third Sunday of Advent

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Mass Readings

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First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Responsorial: Isaiah 12:2-6
Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-7
Gospel: Luke 3:10-18

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121221.cfm

Happy Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice,” and we hear that a lot in today’s readings! Our rose-colored candle today because the Church invites us to celebrate! We celebrate and we rejoice because we are halfway to Christmas! Can you believe it? Rejoice because the Lord is near!

Today also happens to be the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We don’t celebrate it this year because it falls on a Sunday and the Sunday liturgies take priority. But there is something important about that story that is relevant for us today.

Five hundred years ago, the Church had been struggling in its missionary efforts throughout central and south America. So, our Lady appeared in Mexico to encourage in the faith. But she didn’t appear to the bishop. No! She appeared to a poor indigenous laborer. The bishop wanted proof.

Oh, how our Lady provided proof!

Mary presented St Juan Diego with roses to take to the bishop. Why was this a sign? First of all, it was December and there was frost on the ground. Second, the roses weren’t native plants. These roses came from the same part of Spain where the bishop was from. What an extraordinary sign!

Now, in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist who had been preaching in the region of the Jordan (Luke 3:3) didn’t ask the people around him – the people he had just called a brood of vipers – to produce an extraordinary sign. But he told them they needed to repent and to prove their conversion. Or to put it another way, their repentance needed to produce fruit. You see, repentance is not about saying, “I’m sorry.” Repentance is about radical change – a turning from our old way of life. When we repent, we turn away from the lifestyle that caused us to sin. And the fruits of that change are corporal works of mercy – sharing our blessings with others.

The people ask him, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:10)

John the Baptist tells the people that if they have two cloaks, they should give one away. Or whoever has food should give some of it away. (Luke 3:11) Tax collectors shouldn’t collect more than they should. (Luke 3:13) And soldiers shouldn’t extort people. (Luke 3:14)

Notice that it isn’t the occupation of the tax collector or soldier. John the Baptist doesn’t care what the job is, but how we conduct ourselves on the job. We can’t just say, “it’s business” to justify taking advantage of people.

Why these particular fruits?

Well, if I’m holding on to stuff I don’t use; if I’m hoarding more food or supplies than I could use in a year; if I’m taking advantage of people through my job, who’s the focus. The focus is on me. How often sin revolves around me. But repentance – changing my life means I’m willing to see someone else to offer them help.

Alright, let’s look at this from another angle. Isn’t mercy the other side of repentance? We repent and place ourselves at the mercy of God. But when we look out and forgive others or help others, we show them mercy. What is mercy?

Just this week my spiritual director reminded me about the definition of mercy. The Jesuit moral theologian Jim Keenan defines mercy as the willingness to enter into the chaos of another.

Doesn’t that sound like what’s happening in the Incarnation? God willingly enters into the chaos of our world – of our lives. Maybe you’re experiencing a little chaos because someone you loved just passed away. Maybe you’re experiencing a little chaos because you or someone you love received a bad diagnosis and they’re facing a difficult road ahead. Maybe you’re experiencing a little chaos because you’re a single parent or your parents of young children and it’s a struggle – balancing work, schoolwork, the shopping, and the cooking and the cleaning. And let’s face it, the kids have more energy than we do so we feel like we’re racing just to keep up. And by the way, how is it December? It was just September, wasn’t it?

Despite the chaos of our lives, Jesus willingly steps into our lives, not like some phantom. But to walk with us as a human – to be just like you and just like me in every way except sin. Jesus says to you and to me I’m willing to step into your chaos.

John the Baptist tells us we can’t just reach into our pockets and toss a little change into the Salvation Army bucket, you know with the people ringing their bells. Do they still do that? No, John the Baptist tells us we need to look the other person in the eyes – to see them as a human being and to say to them “I am willing to bring the chaos of my life and get involved in the chaos of your life.” Like those roses that Our Lady gave to St. Juan Diego 500 years ago, I need to break through the frost of this post-Christian world and to share the joyful hope of Jesus Christ with everyone I encounter because we’re all in this together.

That’s another beautiful lesson learned from Our Lady. I’m sorry if you missed the talk by Christy Wilkens about Lourdes this past Thursday. She’s the daughter of parishioners. The family donated a copy of her book Awakening at Lourdes. Just as soon as our library volunteers can get that into the card catalog, it will be available in our library to be checked out. But one of the lessons she learned is that it’s not that God won’t give you more than you can handle. But rather, it’s God will not give you and your community of friends and family more than you can handle.

What a beautiful lesson.

We’re not alone on this journey. We’re part of a community. So, my repentance means that God is willing to show me mercy – to get involved in my chaos. So too must I be willing to get involved in the chaos of the community by sharing what I have – by sharing my particular gifts of time, talent and treasure. I think that’s one of the lessons from today’s Gospel.

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I invite you to reflect on the following question.

John the Baptist tells us we need to share what we have with others and to not use our jobs to take advantage of other people. Ask yourself, “how do I joyfully put my time, my talents, and my money and possessions at the service of others?”

I think doing our homework will help us prepare to celebrate Christmas as intentional disciples. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Then go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!

Image Credit: Unknown. JPEG file.

References:

1. Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018. Kindle.
2. Hamm, Dennis SJ. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013. Kindle.

Catechism References:
1. Joy: 30, 163, 301, 736, 1829, 1832, 2015, 2362
2. Jesus the Savior, 430-5
3. John prepares the way for the Messiah: 523-4, 535
4. John the Baptist: 535, 696
5. Fruits of repentance: 1460
6. Works of mercy: 2447

Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 92

Reading 1
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.

Responsorial
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Reading 2
Philippians 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia
Isaiah 61:1 (cited in Lk 4:18)
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Luke 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
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.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

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ATC 9 The Annunciation and the Liturgy

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Pope Paul VI said, “Liturgy is like a strong tree whose beauty is derived from the continuous renewal of its leaves, but whose strength comes from the old trunk, with solid roots in the ground.”

Welcome to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and I’m so glad you’re here! Together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. Today we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord. In other words, today is nine months until Christmas! In the light of these extraordinary times, we look forward to Christmas with great hope.

Why should we care about the annunciation? Or for that matter, why should we care about Lent? Why is the Church calendar arranged this way? What are all these liturgical seasons about?

We all belong to different groups – like our nations. As a people, we name and we remember certain days. For example, in the United States, some of the days we celebrate include the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day. Dates like these are wildly important to shaping life of our communities. They also help shape our collective national identity. But this practice of naming and remembering days is much older than the United States – indeed much older than all of our countries.

This idea of naming and remembering has its roots in our shared Judeo-Christian heritage. The Ten Commandments call on us to remember and keep the Sabbath, for example. What would the Christian calendar be with Christmas or Easter? This practice of naming and remember affect each of us personally, and yet enable us to share together as a community. <1>

The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, organizes the way we worship God the Father and Jesus Christ throughout the course of the year. The Church also gives us opportunities to consider the lives of people who serve as powerful examples to all of us in living a life rooted in Christ Jesus. For example, today is the Annunciation. Today, we focus on Scripture readings that help us celebrate a courageous young woman named Mary who, apparently without fear or hesitation, told the archangel Gabriel yes, she would set aside her dreams and follow God’s plan for her life.

During the days of the week, the Church might ask us to remember a particular saint – someone who was not perfect, but who demonstrated heroic virtue like martyrdom or courage. We remember them because their lives offer us concrete examples about how each of us might live our lives for Jesus Christ.

But here’s the catch: none of them matter – Mary doesn’t matter and the saints don’t matter – on their own. They are only important to us in the light of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, these people are just ordinary people whose lives we would have no reason to remember. It is because of the way they lived their lives for Jesus that matters. So when we remember these people, we remember them in the context of our faith in Jesus Christ.

So, the Church arranges the calendar in a way that we contemplate Jesus Christ. We begin the year with Advent – those weeks leading up to Christmas which serve as a challenge to reflect on our priorities and to refocus our lives on Jesus Christ. Then, we celebrate Christmas and the season Christmastime. We rejoice by remembering that the Savior has come!

The next major season is Lent, the season we currently observe. This is another opportunity to clean our respective houses and prepare ourselves for Triduum. Triduum refers to what we refer to as Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, to the Great Vigil of Easter. On one level, the Triduum is one solemn commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection. On another level, it is the culmination – the high point of the entire liturgical year.

Next comes Eastertime – fifty days of celebrating and rejoicing about the resurrection. Historically speaking, even before Lent took shape, we’ve celebrated the resurrection until Pentecost. In fact, every Sunday for Catholics is a mini-Easter when we celebrate the resurrection. Why? Because this is what it’s all about – from the incarnation to the resurrection, Jesus is the promised salvation of God.

Now for 32 weeks of the year, from Pentecost to Advent and a few weeks between Christmastime and Lent, we celebrate ordinary time. “Ordinary” in this case doesn’t mean commonplace. In this case, “ordinal” or “counted.” <2> You see, the Church includes as much Scripture as possible and to do that, it divides Scripture by weeks. Since the Gospel accounts each have a particular theme, and since we pull from John’s account during Lent, the Church dedicates time for us to consider the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

We spend the Sundays in one year focusing on Matthew which we call Year A; then Mark in Year B, and Luke in Year C. During the week, there’s a two-year cycle of readings, some repeats from the Sundays, and some not. I know this is a digression, but if you include the cycle of Scripture prayed during the Liturgy of the Hours or the Daily Office, then altogether the Church will have read nearly 80% of the entire Bible over the course of three years. Just like in everyday life, what gets planned gets done. The Church doesn’t leave contemplating Scripture to chance.

I just mentioned the Liturgy of the Hours. What’s the Liturgy of the Hours? We’ll take that up in another episode, but here’s the reader’s digest version. It’s a sequence of psalms and other Scripture passages prayed over the course of the day. You see, Christians have from the beginning continued the Jewish tradition of praying seven times a day. Today, consecrated religious orders and priests continue this tradition, while deacons pray only part of the hours. The laity are not required to keep any of the hours, but they can voluntarily do so.

Okay, I digress, but the point is that the life of the Church over the course of the year is organized in way that helps us contemplate God’s saving action through Jesus Christ from the incarnation to the ascension. That’s why, on a day like today, we take time to recall when the archangel Gabriel visited Mary. Reflecting on the annunciation helps us look with hope to Christmas, and right now, we could use all the hope we can get!

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. You’re listening to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again next time and don’t forget to check out the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!

Notes:
<1> Huck, Gabe and Gerald T. Chinchar, Liturgy with Style and Grace, Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1998, 92.
<2> Ibid, 105.

References:
1. Huck, Gabe and Gerald T. Chinchar. Liturgy with Style and Grace. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1998.
2. Metzger, Marcel. History of the Liturgy: The Major Stages. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1997.