This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Into this overarching narrative of the grand plan of salvation, we have the curious insertion of John the Baptist. We should note that this fourth gospel never uses the moniker “the Baptist” or “the Baptizer” – in fact John is never called the “forerunner” or “herald.” John has one role and one role only: witness (v.7).
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. From the opening Prologue we see the portrait of Jesus as the fulfillment of all of these Targuminic themes. Jesus is personified (vv. 1-2), the agent of God and creation (v.3), the life-giver (v.4), the source of life and knowledge (vv.4-5), the maker of covenants (v.12), the means of salvation (v.16), the same as God and different (God and human natures), and the visible presence of God on earth. John 1:14 says:
“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth”
Our first reading is taken from the 40th Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah – a chapter we have been reading for more than a week now. Taken a moment to quickly read over Isaiah 40 and you will note how many key verses there are which the Church uses during the Christmas season, especially the Sundays of Advent: Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Jesus was not born into a time of theological vacuum. Jewish theology was robust and with a history of succeeding and competing rabbinic schools. The followers of Jesus and the people of his time were Jews who were raised and lived this theology. It provided the framework for their daily lives and shaped their expectations about the Messiah, the Anointed One, who was to come. Among the gospels, John’s is the writings whose work expresses the fulfillment of those expectations and provides the theology for those that would follow Jesus. The basis of the theology is evident from the opening:
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God…”
From our first reading: “Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you” (Zech 2:15)
When I was in Kenya I remember the first time I saw local artwork portraying Jesus, Mary, and the Holy Family. The images were black people that looked like the people among whom I lived. Of course I had grown up with the same images – only the faces were white. I can remember thinking of seeing the Kenyan images… “makes sense.” It made sense, because if we thought about it we all answer that Jesus was of Middle eastern features. But at the same time, we all want to see our identity in the images of Jesus, Mary, the Holy Family, the saints, and all those things that are icons of our faith. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. As mentioned in a previous post, the prologue and the beginning of John’s gospel appears on this 3rd Sunday of Advent as well as the gospel for the Mass on Christmas during the day (all years) and on the 3rd Sunday of Christmas (all years). So perhaps it is good to consider in detail this amazing text in its own right. Continue reading
Our first reading is taken from the 35th Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah – a prophet we have been reading for more than a week now. Although Isaiah 34 is not part of these Advent weekday readings, it offers some context for today’s readings and some insight to our human expectations of God.
Isaiah 34 is an oracle that begins with a call to judgment against all nations and then moves to the specific case of Edom, a kingdom to the south of Judea. Tradition holds that Edom was established by Isaac’s son Esau (brother of Jacob); the word edom in Hebrew means “red” and as Gen 25:25 notes, Esau was born “reddish.” Despite (or because of) the blood relationship, Edom was considered one of the many enemies that Israel had to deal with time and time again.
As the Judeans, now exiled to Babylon, consider the state of things they recall that the Lord is Zion’s defender and as such should defeat all nations that oppose it. The passage is notable for two reasons. First, it uses the imagery of cosmic destruction — the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. It is a poetic evocation of utter desolation, which attests the absolute power of God over the world.
Second, we cannot overlook the fact that this is a rather gory fantasy of vengeance. It is true that the vengeance of the Lord is closely related to the idea of justice. It is a matter of punishing the oppressor and vindicating the oppressed (see Deut 32:34–43). Yet, it is no less true that this oracle expresses the frustration and resentment of the Jewish community in the hard times of the postexilic period. The sentiments expressed are less than admirable, but they are certainly an honest expression of human nature. Religious people have often expected their God to satisfy their desire for vengeance. The expectation, however, is seldom fulfilled.
Chapter 35 provides the positive counterpart to chapter 34 by focusing on Israel’s liberation. One cannot help but be reminded of another Exile prophet: Ezekiel. In the chapters leading up to Ezekiel 47 we have a similar vision of the state of things: the great valley of the dry bones – Judea in utter defeat. But Chapter 47 begins a description of a complete restoration of the land when the waters, flowing from the Temple, completely restore the land to a garden paradise, even bringing life to the Dead Sea.
“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful songs…Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water” (Isa 35:1-2, 6-7)
The message is one of comfort and hope. The images of chapter 35 have lasting power to console and encourage those in need of liberation from exile. For the moment, those in exile, looking ahead, did not see the blossoming, only the barrenness of the destruction of Jerusalem. Isaiah promises that the day will come when they will become pilgrims on the way home. Then they will see the blossoming as they walk the pilgrim path described as “A highway will be there, called the holy way.” (v.8)
Perhaps in this Advent of 2023 with the destruction of the lands south of the modern State of Israel, we will sustain our hope that the nations find “the holy way.” Closer to home, may we be mindful of the “holy way” we are each called to walk that the parched interior landscape of our lives may bloom and rejoice at the coming of the Christ Child.
Image credit: Prophet Isaiah, Mosaic, Right of Lunette, South Wall of Presbytery, Basilica of San Vitale | PD-US | Pexels
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Last week the Gospel reading focused on the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus, the one who came to “Prepare the Way of the Lord,” by calling the people to turn back to God. The readings often include passages from the Old Testament, particularly from the book of Isaiah, which contain prophecies about a voice crying out in the wilderness, making the paths straight for the Lord. This week John the Baptist is still prominent, but the readings move from penitential in nature to one that anticipates the coming of the Christ child. We also move from the Gospel of Mark to the Gospel of John. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent known as Guadete Sunday – Rejoice Sunday. Divine joy is the very nature of God – creative; like an overflowing fountain – a fountain fullness. A joy that wants to be shared in wider and wider circles. A joy that asks us to join in the universal shout for joy. The words of the introit of the Mass are the hallmark of Guadette Sunday: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say again: rejoice.” The refrain of the Psalm proclaim: “My soul rejoices in the Lord.” The second reading (1 Thes 5:16-24) begins, “Rejoice always.”
A little wisdom from this morning’s “Pearls Before Swine” comic. Check it out.
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