Gospel: Gaudete Sunday

The Gospel passage for the Third Sunday of Advent is lifted according to the account of St John.

A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him.

He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light.

This was the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

He declared, he did not deny but declared, "I am not the Christ."

So they asked, "Then are you Elijah?" He replied, "I am not." 

"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 he said, "I am, as Isaiah has prophesied: A voice of one that cries in the desert: Prepare a way for the Lord. Make his paths straight!"

Now those who have been sent were pharisees, and they put this question to him, "Why are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, or not the Prophet?"

John answered them, "I baptize with water; but standing among you--unknown to you--is the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal."

This happened in Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

This Gospel reading invites us to continue our reflection on the person and mission of St John the Baptist. Today we depart from the Gospel of Mark and read a selection from the Gospel of John.

The Gospel for today combines a brief passage from the prologue to St John's Gospel with a report about St John the Baptist. As in St Mark's Gospel, the Gospel of John contains no birth narrative. Instead, St John's account begins with a theological reflection that has come to be called the "prologue." This prologue places the story of Jesus in its cosmological framework. It speaks of Jesus' existence with God since the beginning of time. In St John's Gospel, Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the culmination of the Word, the light that is coming into the world's darkness.

Following this prologue, St John the Evangelist reports on the ministry of St John the Baptist. We learn about the attention that St John the Baptist received from the Jewish authorities. Messengers from the Jewish priests, the Levites, and the Pharisees question him about his identity and the meaning of the baptisms that he is performing. St John's Gospel uses these questions to establish the relationship between St John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus. From this passage, we hear the echoes of messianic expectations that were common in first-century Palestine.

The only affirmative response that St John the Baptist gives is when he quotes the Prophet Isaiah. Upon answering the first question, he announces that the savior is already among them, but as yet unrecognized. His response highlights for us an important Advent theme: Jesus has already come into the world as our savior. During Advent, we pray that we will be able to recognize Jesus' presence in our midst. Advent also reminds us that Jesus will come again to fulfill the promise of salvation.

The Third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete, a Latin word which means "Rejoice," is taken from the entrance antiphon for Sunday's Mass. This theme is also echoed in today's second reading from St Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians. It is a reminder that Advent is a season of Joy because Jesus is already with us and the salvation that we hope for is already at hand.

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