{"id":1787,"date":"2017-12-11T14:35:12","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T14:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=1787"},"modified":"2017-12-11T14:35:12","modified_gmt":"2017-12-11T14:35:12","slug":"the-third-sunday-of-advent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2017\/12\/11\/the-third-sunday-of-advent\/","title":{"rendered":"The Third Sunday of Advent"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

The Third Sunday of Advent, – 17 December, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Isaiah 61: 1:2a, 10-11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ps.\u00a0 Luke 1:46-50, 53-54\u00a0\u00a0 1 Thess. 5: 16-24\u00a0\u00a0 John 1:6-8, 19-28<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I<\/em><\/strong>n Chapter 4 of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth.\u00a0 He then went to the synagogue on the sabbath \u201cas was his custom.\u201d\u00a0 He stood up and read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah the passage that is today’s reading.\u00a0 It was the beginning of his public ministry in Galilee.\u00a0 I have always thought that Jesus saw this as his \u201cjob description.\u201d\u00a0 As his disciples, I believe it is ours as well.\u00a0 Jesus is filled with the joy of God’s love and recognizes that healing and justice is called for everywhere he would go.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our Psalm of rejoicing is one that we hear put into the mouth of Mary \u2013 an ancient prayer echoing her ancestor in faith, Hannah (2 Sam 1-10).\u00a0 It is one of gratitude and hope in God’s promise and mercy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paul’s letter to the community of Thessaloniki is thought to be the earliest writing in the entire New Testament.\u00a0 It was most likely written in Corinth or Athens around 50 C.E.\u00a0 It therefore predates the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.\u00a0 It is a most encouraging letter to this new community as they have hope that the second coming of Jesus would come in their lifetime.<\/strong>\u00a0 Paul gently reminds them to Rejoice, \u00a0in the deeper sense of God’s abiding love and care, despite the sufferings and trials of daily life.\u00a0 He call them to pray in the midst of whatever is happening in their lives and give thanks for God’s presence no matter what injustice is encountered.\u00a0 Trusting in God will enable them to show compassion and give them the strength to work for justice for all those around them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Gospel of John introduces John, the baptizer, the preparer of the way.\u00a0 He is questioned by the people as to his identity.\u00a0 He responds that he is a \u201cvoice crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the lord.\u201d\u00a0 John leads them to Jesus as he points them to the one who will bring justice into the world, making things \u201cright\u201d with God; preparing a just world, repenting of greed.\u00a0 His message is both hopeful and joyful.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gaudete Sunday links joy, prayer and gratitude. \u00a0Each one flows into the next and is cause for rejoicing.\u00a0 God IS among us. <\/em>\u00a0So let us indeed REJOICE!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For reflection and discussion:\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Do you ever feel anger as you see the injustices around you?\u00a0 Does this lead you to action?\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Have you experienced great works of charity coming from strong emotions and holy anger?\u00a0 Where?\u00a0 Who has paved a way and been a model for you\u00a0 in this kind of wilderness?How do we as disciples 2000 years later join in solidarity with other to help to heal the brokenness around us and share hope with so many who are hopeless?<\/p>\n

*\u00a0 Pope Francis believes in the Joy of the Gospel .*<\/em><\/p>\n

(and today, 17 December, is actually his 81st<\/sup> Birthday!! -Ad multos annos!)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s teaching commentary was prepared by<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, MAT in Religious Studies<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hockessin DE USA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bat Kol\u00a0 Alumna 2001<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Email:\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>chezcor@msn.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

[Copyright \u00a9 2017]<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

PLEASE NOTE<\/em><\/strong>: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.\u00a0 Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>~~<\/em><\/strong>1983<\/em><\/strong>–2017<\/strong><\/em>~~<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

B<\/em><\/strong>at <\/em><\/strong>K<\/em><\/strong>ol <\/em><\/strong>I<\/em><\/strong>nstitute for Jewish Studies, <\/em><\/strong>J<\/em><\/strong>erusalem<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Website:<\/em><\/strong> www.batkol.info<\/strong><\/a>;<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0 gill@batkol.info<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Third Sunday of Advent, – 17 December, 2017 Isaiah 61: 1:2a, 10-11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ps.\u00a0 Luke 1:46-50, 53-54\u00a0\u00a0 1 Thess. 5: 16-24\u00a0\u00a0 John 1:6-8, 19-28 \u00a0 Download \u00a0 In Chapter 4 of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth.\u00a0 He then went to the synagogue on the sabbath \u201cas was his custom.\u201d\u00a0 He stood…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":1781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}