First reading Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11
He has sent me to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up hearts that are broken;
to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to those in prison;
to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:46-50,53-54
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
Second reading 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
May you all be kept safe for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Be happy at all times; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks to God, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.
Never try to suppress the Spirit or treat the gift of prophecy with contempt; think before you do anything – hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless, spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has called you and he will not fail you.
Gospel John 1:6-8,19-28
‘There stands among you the one coming after me’
A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
only a witness to speak for the light.
This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied:
a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for the Lord.’
Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.
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Joy
On this Gaudate Sunday, let us allow John the Baptist to show us how to live this time of preparation with humility in bringing others to Jesus and be heralds of joy to others. He was happy not to be in the limelight but to be a witness to Jesus, pointing people to the way to Him. How can we learn from John to be humble and joyful?
Humility: John was humble and at peace with the role that God had given him. Because of his humility, he guided people to recognise and welcome Jesus. Let us allow God to show us where He calls us to be and do and trust that He has a role, a place and a time for us. Through us, may we bring people to Jesus this Advent. Joy: We have known the joy of knowing and loving Jesus and experienced His loving presence. It is time to share the joy of our faith with others by simply living life with joy, gratitude and hope, even amid challenges. May our happiness infect others to live also with joy in Christ.
Reflective question:
How can I be a herald of joy that points others to Jesus?
How can I be a herald of joy that points others to Jesus?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
