Deacon Tom Anthony

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Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 7

Reading 1 Is 35:1-6a, 10

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 Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

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.

Reading 2 Jas 5:7-10

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 Is 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 Mt 11:2-11

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.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 There can be JOY in waiting. The longer we wait for something there is more expectation. With that expectation comes a building up of anticipation. In a relationship with Jesus Christ there should be no anxiety accompanying the waiting. In our faith-life, there is a final goal that is anticipated but this is only achieved with our physical death when we are transformed into a perfect creature unified with our Creator. Yes, that will be a wonderful day when Jesus Christ comes in final victory against everything that opposes Him and His enemies are put under His feet. Everything that comes before that glorious day is a building up to that event. As we all progress forward it should be with an understanding that the goal is the pinnacle of our existence and, as long as we carry these thoughts with us, the journey towards it should be as rewarding. The present is where we are physically and spiritually. Our mental state should remain with them. How can we fully experience Jesus Christ in our lives if we are constantly orientated towards the future? The JOY becomes more evident with acceptance that there is more to come without ignoring or belittling what we have in the present.

When John the Baptist was performing a Baptism of Repentance, he was also foretelling the coming of someone greater than he. Because of his prophecy, did that make the baptism less important or impactful? Was the experience of transformation experienced by those in the Jordan minimized because of other events to come? The answer is a resounding no! When living one’s faith, the importance of a coming event should not reduce the JOY of the current event. In fact, the present event enhances the things to come. It serves as a little taste of a larger banquette. That banquette cannot be indulged in without taking a small sample first. It entices yet satisfies the yearning for the moment while leaving an impact that will forever change us and prepare us for the future.

Jesus Christ has the capability to influence our lives in so many ways. It starts small with a realization that there is a better way. It is a seed that is being planted. Then the seed is nurtured and grows. We are growing every day when we act out our faith. Even though there are times when we become impatient, we must ignore the instinct to abandon what we seek and let things progress in the way that God intended. We will be here for a very long time and must realize that the changes through Jesus Christ will take longer than we expect to come to fulfillment. The little adjustments that we make will have a great impact on our future. We might not realize this in the present but that does not mean that it will not happen. Little adjustments lead to great results. We tend to underestimate Jesus Christ in regards to what He can do. This must be overcome as we seek to be patient and accepting to what comes our way. In the end, Jesus will prevail and reveal to us a better way.

The Prophet Isaiah tells us about the Coming of The Lord. The Letter of James tells us to be patient, knowing that everything that has been promised to us will be given to us in good time. Why do we doubt that our God will fulfill the promises He made to us? How dare we question Him. Yes, it is natural to question our friends but it is unnatural to question God. Instead we should focus on the JOY present when we fully trust and understand that what god has promised to us will be given in due time. Until His promises are fulfilled, know that He is with us and loving us until that time.

Deacon Tom