A New Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy

The Joy of Waiting
3rd Sunday of Advent (December 14, 2003)

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This presentation is originally prepared in Spanish by Fr. Cristo Rey García Paredes, cmf. The original version,along with other very useful materials for pastoral agents and Christians in general can be found at: http://ciudadredonda.org

December 14, 2003 - 3rd Sunday of Advent (C)

A. Called to Joy
B. Begin in a Small Way

Readings:
Zep 3:14-18; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18

Commentaries / Gospel Reflections from:
Sunday's Into Silence • Diario Biblico • Daily Gospel

Greeting (See Second Reading)

There is no need to worry,
for the Lord wants you to be happy,
and he is near to you.
May his peace and joy be with you always. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Called to Joy

On this Third Sunday of Advent the liturgy speaks to us, people who are too often so sad, of God as the Lord of the dance: the Lord is happy to come among us: he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival. It is a feast for the Lord to be with us. Is it a feast for us too? Let us open ourselves to the joy of the coming and lasting presence among us of the Lord himself. He comes to us with his peace, his love, and his forgiveness, not only on the great feast of Christmas but in every eucharist and every day when we are willing to make God's love and peace grow in us and in our world. Lord, we are happy that you are here among us.

B. Begin in a Small Way

When the task to carry out what we ought to do certainly exceeds our potentials, what can we do about it? When the problem is too large for us to handle- like injustice and violence in the world, the lack of love, the disunity among people-what is there that we little people can do? We can begin by acting responsibly in our own little corner, with the people around us and by doing well what we have to do. This is John the Baptist's advice to those who come to him for conversion. This is what they have to do to hasten the coming of the Savior. This is perhaps all we can do to bring Christ today in our world.

Penitential Act

The Lord's joy becomes tangible for us
also when he can reconcile us with himself
in the pardon he offers us all the time.
         (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you are a God near to us
and so we dare to say:
Keep us in your love.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, with you near to us
we have no more evil to fear.
Keep us in your joy:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you ask us to be happy
and no longer to worry, for you are near.
Keep us in your peace.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
God among us,
heal us from the fears caused by sin
and bring us the joy of your forgiveness.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

A. Called to Joy

Let us pray that we may welcome with joy
Christ and his Good News
         (PAUSE)
God, source of all happiness,
your Son Jesus Christ brought to us and to all
glad tidings of your pardon and life.
Our hearts remain restless
until they find rest and peace in you.
Let your joy be our joy,
your love be our love,
your acceptance of us be our welcome
to all our brothers and sisters.
With Jesus in our midst,
may our communities be happy
and be a foretaste, even in trials,
of the lasting joy you have prepared for us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

B. Begin in a Small Way

Let us pray for the courage
to do well what we have to do in life
         (PAUSE)
Our faithful God,
give us the courage to welcome your Son
by sharing what we have,
doing well what is right and just,
and spreading peace.
Let your Son Jesus baptize us
with the Holy Spirit and fire,
that he may renew us by his love
and let our hearts overflow with joy
because Jesus is alive among us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction: The Lord Will Come in Your Midst
      To a people surrounded by enemies the prophet announces: the Lord will forgive you and bring you joy. He will live among you and renew you by his love.

First Reading: Zeph 3:14-18a

Cry out with joy, O daughter of Zion; rejoice, O people of Israel! Sing joyfully with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!

Yahweh has lifted your sentence and has driven your enemies away. Yahweh, the King of Israel is with you; do not fear any misfortune.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid nor let your hands tremble, for Yahweh your God is within you, Yahweh, saving warrior. He will jump for joy on seeing you, for he has revived his love. For you he will cry out with joy, as you do in the days of the Feast.

I will drive away the evil I warned you about, and you will no longer be shamed.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Second Reading Introduction: Rejoice, the Lord Is Near!
      Christians should always be joyful people, says St Paul. Their joy must be contagious, for the Lord is always near to them.

Second Reading: Phil 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice and may everyone experience your gentle and understanding heart. The Lord is near: do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God. Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Introduction: Concrete Actions!
      We wait and prepare for the coming of the Lord by doing well the everyday things that our calling demands, particularly with regards to others.

Gospel Reading: Lk 3:10-18

The people asked John, "What are we to do?" And John answered, "If you have two coats, give one to the person who has none; and if you have food, do the same."

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and asked him, "Master, what must we do?" John said to them, "Collect no more than your fixed rate." People serving as soldiers asked John, "What about us? What are we to do?" And he answered, "Don't take anything by force or threaten the people by denouncing them falsely. Be content with your pay."

The people were wondering about John's identity, "Could he be the Messiah?" Then John answered them, "I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming will do much more: he will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie his sandal. He comes with a winnowing fan to clear his threshing floor and gather the grain into his barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out."

With these and many other words John announced the Good News to the people.

Commentary

The irruption of John the Baptist presupposes the coming of a prophet, a precursor that prepares the way and put in question the lives of people. The prophet denounces the dominion of sins and evils in the world and at the same time announces the good news of hope for the coming of God's reign (kingdom). There are prophets, precursors and pioneers that open new roads to humanity. They are the ones helping us to prepare the advent of God. The message of advent is found in the words of John the Baptist: "I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming will do much more; he will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie his sandal." John admits being sent to prepare the coming of Jesus. He is not Jesus. He affirms that the one who follows him is more powerful than he is. "He must increase while I must decrease," says John. The authority and credibility of John is rooted in his humble testimony as a precursor. His power rests on the authority of God who sends him to prepare the coming of the Messiah, the bringer of true salvation.

Read also: • Gospel Reflections by Fr. Gerry Pierse, C.Ss.R.
          • Biblical Commentaries fro Diario Biblico

General Intercessions

If there is too little joy among us, it is perhaps because we are not Christian enough. Let us pray to the God of joy that we may always live in his peace and joy, and let us say: R/ Lord, you are all our joy.

- For the Church, that it may always proclaim the gospel as good tidings of great joy, as a message of liberation and hope for all, let us pray: R/ Lord, you are all our joy.

- For today's cold world of management and production, with its manipulation and injustice, that it may again pay attention to people and regain a sense of joy and celebration, let us pray: R/ Lord, you are all our joy.

- For the poor and those who suffer, that we may give them not only what they need but bring them the warmth of our love and the joy of hope, let us pray: R/ Lord, you are all our joy.

- For Christians everywhere, that we may learn to keep our serenity in the trials that are part of life and that we may see the relative value of things, let us pray: R/ Lord, you are all our joy.

- And for all of us, that we may have a sense of humor that can laugh at our own expense and a sense of gratuitousness that can do things for free and out of pure joy, let us pray: R/ Lord, you are all our joy.

Lord our God, you have brought us freedom through Jesus your Son. May we live in your hands as free people and people of great joy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord, God of life and happiness,
your Son Jesus won the joy of his resurrection
through painful suffering and death.
With him we want to accept tensions and pain
without losing our inner peace,
to possess without attachment
and to love without complete fulfillment,
to cherish ourselves without deserting others,
to work for the future without reaping results
and to encounter Christ,
without knowing him fully.
Let this be our offering to you
that brings us your joy for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord Jesus is very near to us here in this eucharist. Let us pray and offer with him that he may also be close to us in people and in the life of every day.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer

With the fullest trust and joy
let us pray to our Father in heaven
in the words of Jesus himself: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us your peace in our day.
Keep us free from worrying about the future
and give us each day
a fresh provision of joy.
Help us to do well the task
you have assigned to us in life
and to spread happiness,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is the Lord who said:
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You are sad now
but I shall see you again
and then your hearts will be full of joy.
No one shall take that joy away from you.
Happy are we to be invited
to the Lord's meal of joy. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
you have refreshed our hope and joy
in this holy meal with your Son.
Help us to seek joy and happiness
not in personal contentment nor in things
but in people and in you,
in human kindness and in sharing,
and in doing all things well.
Make our every day new and worth living
through the presence among us
of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

We have our share of cares and worries
just like anyone else.
Yet, on account of our trust in God
and the quiet assurance
that the Lord is ever near to us,
we keep our serenity and joy.
Let your Christian joy be contagious,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in the hope and joy of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.

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Additional Resource Material for this Sunday

Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel.

God's Justice
(Lk 3:10-18)

(taken from the book A Certain Jesus, Vol. 1)
Click here for other Readings --> Index of A Certain Jesus