Third Sunday of Advent
There Shall Be No Poor Among You
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
There Shall Be No Poor Among You
Joy in the Lord’s Coming
Greeting (From the Entrance Antiphon)
Rejoice in the Lord always:
the Lord is near.
He is here among us.
May the Lord Jesus always be with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
There Shall Be No Poor Among You.
Among the main signs which Jesus quotes about his being the long expected Messiah is that he brought the Good News to the poor. The prophets of the Old Testament had said that the Savior would do this. Even in the Law it had already been said “There shall be no poor among you.” The poor were Jesus’ great concern. We are disciples of Jesus. How much do we reach out to the poor like him? How many poor are there still among us? Let us ask our Lord in this Eucharist to make us aware of the poverty around us and to make us signs of his presence to the poor.
Joy in the Lord’s Coming
Where people hope, there is always a spirit of eager anticipation. The waiting for something great to happen brings with it a lively joy, sometimes greater than the possession of what we had been waiting for. Our joy during this Advent season comes from our awareness that the Lord is already with us and if we let him, he will even become nearer to us when we let him make us more like him. We welcome Jesus here among us.
Penitential Act
Let us ask forgiveness from the Lord
that we have closed our eyes
and have not seen or helped the plight of the poor.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you gave sight to the blind.
Make us see the distress of the poor.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you made the deaf hear.
Open our ears to the cries of the weak.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you made the lame walk.
Make us lift up those paralyzed
by their fears and failures.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us our sins, Lord
and make us more like you.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray
that people may recognize in us
that our saving God is here
(pause)
Lord, God of hope and joy,
you want to come among us
and to be near to us today
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Let it become visible
that he lives among us
when we are near to one another
and bring hope and justice
especially to the poor
and to those who suffer.
May people recognize in this way
that he is the one to come
and receive him with joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading
Joy to Those Who Suffer: Through his prophet, God promises that he him-self will come to set his people free. Jesus will bring this hope and joy to the poor and those who suffer.
The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Second Reading
Be Patient: The Lord is Coming
James encourages the community, especially the poor: Do not become bitter but be patient. The Lord will save you soon.
Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Alleluia Verse
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
The Good News Proclaimed to the Poor: Jesus brings God’s love to the poor and to those who suffer; in this way he fulfills what the prophet had said about the coming of God’s new world.
When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
"Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Go and tell John what you hear and see:
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.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."
As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
"What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray to Jesus our Lord that he may wait no longer to bring us the joy of living more deeply among us. Let us say: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
– We have created in our world too many deserts where love is absent. That our Lord may make our deserts fertile and let them bloom with the joy of love, we pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
– We have refused to dialogue with one another. That the Lord may open our deaf ears and give speech to our silent lips, to bring us the joy of unity and understanding, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
– We have built prisons for one another. That the Lord who sets prisoners free may restore the freedom of all, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
– We often declare war against one another. That the Lord may extinguish all hatred and bring us the joy of his peace, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
– We have let the poor go hungry. That the Lord may move us to share our food and love with one another, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
– We have let our faith dry up. That the Lord may open our hearts and restore the joy of our faith in his presence, Let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus, come and save us. Without you we are powerless, but with you we can do the impossible. For you are our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in this Eucharistic celebration
your Son comes among us
to share himself with us
in the sign of bread to be broken
and a cup of joy to be passed around.
Make us deeply aware
how much giving himself and bringing joy
is Jesus’ way of coming.
Give us the courage to do for others
what he did and still does for us,
that he may be alive among us
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With thanks to the Father we welcome Christ in our midst in this Eucharist and we pray that he may become visible in us.
Preface of Advent III
Note. As a model, we present Preface III for Advent, which is found in the official Missal for German-speaking countries, as one of two additional Advent prefaces.
We give you thanks, Father in heaven,
and we praise you through our Lord Jesus Christ.
You promised him as the Savior
to a humanity gone astray.
His truth is a light for those who seek,
his power gives strength to the weak,
his holiness brings forgiveness to sinners.
For he is the Savior of the world
whom you sent because you are faithful.
And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven
we proclaim your glory
and join in their unending hymn of praise. R/ Holy, holy,...
Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer
With Jesus, we pray to our Father in heaven
the trusting prayer of the poor,
who know that all good things come
from the hands of God. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from the evil of sin,
from the blindness that closes our eyes
to you and to the needs of the poor.
Open our ears to your word
and to the wants of those around us.
Make us walk in your ways
and set us free from our selfishness.
Help us to prepare in joy and hope
the liberating coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus the Lord,
who proclaimed the Good News to the poor,
freedom to prisoners,
and joy to those in sorrow.
Happy are we who receive him with joy. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
you have entrusted to us, your people,
the mission of Jesus, your Son.
Help us to strengthen the weary,
to give hope to the discouraged,
to be near to the poor and the weak
and to lift up, with the gentleness of Jesus,
those sitting down by the roadside of life.
But remember us too,
for we are but weak and fallible people,
and stay with us
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
God has shown us in Jesus
his concern for all that is weak and wounded.
If Jesus is alive among us,
he wants to extend this care through us.
May the Lord continue to come in our world
through our love and compassion,
and may God bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us be each other's support and joy today.
R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS
Joy
Read:
On this “Gaudete Sunday” Isaiah describes a world that is bubbling with joy at the coming of the Lord. It is the capacity to patiently wait for the Lord, which doubles our joy when he arrives, assures James. Jesus points to the joyful transformation in the lives of the people as the sign of his Messiahship.
Reflect:
John the Baptist had started off with a bang. Pointing to his cousin, he had declared to his disciples that Jesus, indeed, was the Lamb of God. As time went by, John wasn’t very sure. Jesus’ methods seemed to be drastically different from his own. John was all about fire and fury; Jesus seemed to be a melting heart. John wanted to cut the barren trees down; Jesus was for giving them yet another chance. Is he truly the one? As answer, Jesus invites John to look at the fruits of his ministry: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are clean again, the deaf hear, the dead come alive! The definitive sign of the Kingdom is the wholesome, healing joy it brings.
Pray:
“Lord, make me a channel of your joy, healing, and life for others.”
Act:
Do an act that brings a smile on the face of someone around you.
Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022; written by Fr. Paulson Velyannoor, CMF