3rd Sunday of Advent
14th December 2025
Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6a.10; Psalm 146:6-10; James 5:7-10; Matt. 11:2-11
Theme: Rejoice, the Lord is near!
The Entrance Antiphon sets the tone for this Sunday known as ‘Gaudete Sunday’: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say: Rejoice! The Lord is near. “(Phil. 4: 4-5)
The reading from Isaiah begins with: “The desert and the parched land will be glad.” and ends with: “and the tongue of the dumb will shout joyfully.” The reading in between describes why there is gladness and joy when the LORD comes – earth flourishes and human beings are made whole. Verse 4 gives great hope and joy:
“Say to those who are faint-hearted,
‘Be strong! Do not be afraid!
Here is your God;
he will come with vengeance.
With divine retribution
he is coming to save you.’”
A note from the NCB states: “Isaiah 35:1 The promises are inspired by the second part of the Book (see Isa 41:19). Jesus intends by his activity to inaugurate this period of deliverance for the poor (Mt 11:5), citing verses 5-6 of the present passage, as found in our Gospel Reading.
That brings us to our Gospel reading for today. John the Baptist is in prison and perhaps in his uncertainty of his position and not receiving any contact from the One he was proclaiming, sends some disciples to ask if Jesus is the long-expected One, the Messiah. Jesus answers with some words from Isaiah: “‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.’” We find a similar declaration by Jesus in Luke 4:15-19, taken from 3rd Isaiah 61:1-3.
The reading from James encourages us to have patience for the Lord is coming and because we are near to the end of waiting for the Birth of Jesus we can rejoice because the Lord is near. Our patience needs to continue for the Second Coming of Christ and we also need to be aware as, John the Baptist was, to check first for the signs of the true Saviour – the One who brings healing and eternal life.
For Reflection and Discussion: 1. I have taken three gifts that come with joy: no fear, healing and abundant life. What other gifts come with joy according to our readings for today? 2. How are you going to continue your preparation for the remembrance of Christ’s first coming and for his second coming to present us to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit?
Bibliography: www.biblegateway.com – New Catholic Bible (NCB)
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Bernadette Teresa Chellew, KZN, South Africa; Bat Kol Alumna: 2008
[Copyright © 2025]
Comments are closed