Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 61:1-5 The Reception of Visiting Monks
Mass: Is 35:1-6a, 10; Resp Ps 146; Jam 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS; AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE.
INDEED, THE LORD IS NEAR.
INDEED, THE LORD IS NEAR.
(Entrance Antiphon, Mass)
Welcome to Gaudete Sunday! The material I read in preparation for today revolved around the theme of joy, including the Holy Father's Angelus Address, an essay by a Jesuit Scripture scholar, and some paragraphs from the Pope's Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium The Joy of the Gospel. It is true that I have turned to these words from the Holy Father again and again yet it seems JOY is a theme for "Rejoice" Sunday. Pope Francis begins his exhortation: "The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus." He continues, "Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness." Furthermore, "with Christ joy is constantly born anew"! As an example for us, we have John the Baptist, likely spending his days in prison with various levels of sorrow and loneliness, with a question on his mind. The Baptist sends the disciples to ask Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" An answer lies in Jesus' response. Jesus is busy setting free the sinful, sorrowful, empty and lonely. Jesus answers, "Go and tell John what you see and hear: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them." Dear friends, "no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord" (Pope St Paul VI, Gaudete et Domino Rejoice in the Lord). As we enter this Third Week of Advent, we pray with Pope Francis: May the Virgin Mary help us so that, as we approach Christmas, we do not allow ourselves to be distracted by external things, but make room in our hearts for the One who has already come and wants to come again to heal our illnesses and to give us his joy (Angelus Address, December 15, 2019).
SAY TO THE FAINT OF HEART: BE STRONG AND DO NOT FEAR. BEHOLD, OUR GOD WILL COME, AND HE WILL SAVE US.
(Communion Antiphon, Mass)
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