Third Sunday of Advent Year B 2023

Title

Where do we find Jesus?

Outline

John the Baptist had a problem

He obeyed God and proclaimed the good news of the coming of the light and repentance expressed in baptism, but he did not fit any categories.

Some priest and Levites asked him, “Who are you?” he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Messiah.” [others before him had at least implicitly made such a claim] So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’

He did not fit into any of their categories, including their understanding of biblical categories. And he knew that he was not the final word of God, but penultimate, so he uses Isa ch 30 vs 3 (in the LXX version) to express his cal, knowing it would not make sense to the experts. And then he points to Jesus, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

But where do we find Jesus?

We do not find him at the head of an army or in a royal assembly; we find him pouring his life out for others: “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God;”

And there is precisely where Jesus said we would continue to serve him in Matt ch 25. He experiences us doing his work as doing it to him. There is proclamation, proclamation in the Spirit, but it extends to doing what they could do to be with and bring freedom to the captive, the prisoner, the brokenhearted, and the afflicted. Notice that there is the announcement of the year of Jubilee, but also the announcement of “a day of vindication by our God.”

Now our tendency is to focus in the wrong place

We, like the Corinthians, tend to focus on the more spectacular actions of the Spirit, the type of event that St John of the Cross says we should never seek and, while using, not pay much attention to when God sends them.

That is what St Paul says, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good.” We do not want to quench the Spirit in either his more regular action of producing virtue or in his more outwardly directed, more John the Baptist actions of prophetic utterances (and other gifts like them). But do not simply hang onto every word - test them, retain what is good. This is Ignatius, along with St John of the Cross’ realization that even “what is good” can turn our heads and require God to send a demonic affliction as he did to Paul.

Bracketing this call for discrimination is the call to “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” This is not to rejoice in our pain but to give thanks for what God is doing through our pain. For instance, I am thankful for an incident last June when I had to go to the hospital in great pain. I do not say, “It hurt so good do it again,” but I realize that I experientially was able to identify the pain with Jesus and also retain my peace in the presence of Jesus and Mary. “Oh, my Lord, a step closer to you, a humiliation I was able to accept, a pain that helped me hug the cross.” I cannot remember such an experience before.

And we say, “Of course” to “Refrain from every kind of evil.” But neither the Corinthians nor in the Church today is this an unnecessary statement.

We do this in the light of the coming of Jesus. That is our goal and that relativizes all our accomplishments and all our suffering here.

Sisters, this is a rich piece of cake

Some texts are like that. We eat them little by little over a longish period of time so we can digest them.

Just notice that if you do not fit in in you calling that is fine, so long as in all you do you are pointing to Jesus. John the Baptist would understand.

If you want to find Jesus, he is more reliably to be found in acts of love impelled by the Spirit than in ecstasies and the outward gifts of the Spirit. Of course, you know that if you have thought through “the little way.”

And in the end it is welcoming all that happens with rejoicing that God is indeed at work in our lives, even when, perhaps especially when, it involves pain, humiliation, and suffering, for that is his will, and that will prepare us “for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2023: Third Sunday of Advent

FIRST READING

Isaiah 61:1–2a, 10–11

1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

release to the prisoners,

2 To announce a year of favor from the LORD

and a day of vindication by our God;

To comfort all who mourn;

10 I will rejoice heartily in the LORD,

my being exults in my God;

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation,

and wrapped me in a robe of justice,

Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,

as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 As the earth brings forth its shoots,

and a garden makes its seeds spring up,

So will the Lord GOD make justice spring up,

and praise before all the nations.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2023: Third Sunday of Advent

RESPONSE

Isaiah 61:10b

10 I will rejoice heartily in the LORD,

my being exults in my God;

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation,

and wrapped me in a robe of justice,

Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,

as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

PSALM

Luke 1:46–50, 53–54

46 And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;

behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

49 The Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

50 His mercy is from age to age

to those who fear him.

53 The hungry he has filled with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped Israel his servant,

remembering his mercy,

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2023: Third Sunday of Advent

SECOND READING

1 Thessalonians 5:16–24

16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 Test everything; retain what is good. 22 Refrain from every kind of evil.

23 May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it.

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2023: Third Sunday of Advent

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

(cited in Luke 4:18)

Isaiah 61:1

1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

release to the prisoners,

GOSPEL

John 1:6–8, 19–28

6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

19 And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” 23 He said:

“I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert,

“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’

as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Some Pharisees were also sent. 25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 12-17-2023: Third Sunday of Advent

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2023 | ADVENT

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

YEAR B | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Isaiah 61:1–2a, 10–11

Response Isaiah 61:10b

Psalm Luke 1:46–50, 53–54

Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24

Gospel Acclamation Isaiah 61:1 (cited in Luke 4:18)

Gospel John 1:6–8, 19–28

Rose or Violet