Third Sunday of Advent

Dominica III Adventus A
14 December 2025

 Within the season of Advent this Mass of the Third Sunday stands out with a unique character.  The character of this Sunday stands out by the shift in color from purple to the liturgical color rose and the permission to decorate the sanctuary with flowers.  With these visual clues, it should be obvious to anyone following from day to day in Advent that something is different at this moment in the season.  Coming from the Latin first word of the entrance antiphon of the Mass, this Mass is known as Gaudete – or Rejoice! – Sunday.  The entrance antiphon of the Mass had us pray, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.”  And why do we rejoice?  What is the cause of our rejoicing?  The antiphon goes on to tell us, for “the Lord is near.”

 The term “Lord” refers to God.  That God has come near to His people – to us! – is the cause of joy and rejoicing.  That God has come near is what is revealed in the Gospel selection today.  So, let’s take a look at what is happening in the Gospel.

  St. John the Baptist is in prison.  He is awaiting execution.  He is not going to get out of there alive.  And he knows it.  Faced with such stark realities, it would be natural for John to consider his life and his work.  He knew himself to be the voice crying out in the wilderness.  He knew himself to be preparing the way for someone greater.  And he knew himself to be lesser than the one who is coming, so much less that he was not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.  In prison, in a place of such finality, knowing that his own life’s work of prophecy to prepare the way was coming to an end, John hears that Jesus is doing “the works of the Christ,” the passage says.  And so, St. John sends his disciples to Jesus to inquire about what this means.

  St. John’s question is, “Are you the one who is to come?”  You and I hear that question as St. John asking if Jesus is the promised Messiah.  That is part of the question but notice that St. John doesn’t actually use that title.  And that is because there is something more going on here that is being revealed.  There is something more here than just the signs of the Messiah, the Christ.  To answer St. John, Jesus makes reference to the selection from the prophet Isaiah that is chosen as our first reading.  In that selection from Isaiah, the prophet speaks of a future day of salvation when all creation will be made new, will exult and rejoice with new life.  These things will happen because God, not just the Messiah, but Himself will come.  In his response to St. John, Jesus attributes to himself those signs of God’s action.  You can compare the Gospel to the first reading.  Jesus says because of what he is doing, “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, … the deaf hear”.  If you compare those two readings, you can also notice that Jesus adds to the list from Isaiah.  He says that his works mean “lepers are cleansed… [and] the dead are raised”.  These additions can be seen to be a way to emphasize that he is doing the things that only God can do.  That’s why Jesus adds, “And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me”.  Why would he need to say that?  Because the works that Jesus is doing reveal him to be more than just the Christ, the Messiah.  His works reveal him to be God Himself.  In fact, it is his claim to be not only the Messiah, but actually God… this is what eventually gets him arrested and crucified for being a blasphemer.

  The revelation that God has come near and is doing His works of renewal that bring rejoicing, was not a private revelation for St. John alone.  The next part of the Gospel selection shows that the answer to St. John’s question, “are you the one who is to come”, is a revelation meant for everyone.  Jesus goes on to ask the crowd about St. John and his identity.  The crowds didn’t come out to see and to listen to St. John because he was a people pleaser, like a reed swayed by the wind.  They didn’t come out to see someone dressed in fine clothing.  No, St. John dressed rather wildly like Elijah.  Jesus tells the crowd that they came out to see and to listen to St. John because he was a prophet.  And the Lord tells them that he was more than a prophet.  He was the greatest of the prophets.  And for this, Jesus quotes the Book of the Prophet Malachi.  This quote gives still more emphasis that Jesus is doing not only the works of the Christ, the Messiah, but he is actually doing the works of God.  This is punctuated by the quote from Malachi, because in the Book of Malachi the messenger that goes ahead and prepares the way is preparing the way, not for the Messiah, but for the arrival of the Lord God Himself.

  The arrival of God Himself to refresh and bring life, in fact to save, is the cause of the joy of Jesus’ listeners.  They hear that for as great as St. John is, even “the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”.  Imagine what joy and rejoicing this revelation must have been for St. John when word got back to him in such a place of misery and hopelessness awaiting execution.  The Church invites all of us to rejoice this Sunday as we get ever closer to celebrating the birth of God who has come to save us.  We can each find ourselves in some way represented in the Scriptures.  Maybe we are like the crowds, going through life, seeking the Lord and looking for meaning.  Perhaps we have our own places of dark imprisonment that seem hopeless.  Or, more likely than not for the vast majority, we go through the ups and downs of the daily routine, and like the image from the second reading, we have to have the patience of a farmer who plants but does not immediately see the return.  As St. James said, “You too must be patient.  Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand”.

 The revelation, not only of the Messiah, but of God Himself, has taken place.  This is the cause of our rejoicing today.  We must work to cultivate the awareness of this joy each day.  God has come to save us and He has made it possible to enter the kingdom of heaven.  He is the one who is to come, as ancient prophets foretold.  He is the one who has already come.  He is the one who will come again.  And in this time, in which we must patiently await entrance into fullness of life, He is the one who comes most powerfully to us in the Holy Eucharist.  And for this reason, just before Holy Communion, with the Holy Eucharist held before us, do we hear the words of the messenger St. John preparing the way, not only for the Messiah, but preparing the way for God Himself: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world”.