Introduction
Traditionally, the third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday,” the Sunday of Joy. The name originates from the Latin word gaudete (“rejoice”), the first word of the entrance antiphon of today’s Mass:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob. (Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85 (84):1)
The liturgical color for Gaudete Sunday is rose or pink, symbolizing joy and anticipation. It marks a brief pause in the Advent season’s penitential tone, inviting believers to rejoice in the imminent arrival of the Savior. Gaudete Sunday serves as a reminder that, even amid anticipation, there is cause for joy in the promise of salvation.
This Week
When placed side by side, the readings interpret each other, demonstrating our gaudete theme within this Advent season. Each of these statements gives us reason to rejoice!
Isaiah: I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.
Paul: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks…
John the Baptist: There is one among you whom you do not recognize.
1st Reading – Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
The Old Testament readings during Advent are prophecies about the Messiah and the Messianic age.
Today’s reading from Isaiah conveys a message of hope, redemption, and the transformative power of God’s salvation.
The speaker in this passage is understood by many scholars to be the same Servant of the Lord from Isaiah’s other prophecies, particularly the “Servant Songs” (Isaiah 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12). These passages describe a servant chosen and anointed by God to fulfill a redemptive mission, often involving suffering and ultimate exaltation. Christians see Isaiah’s portrayal of this servant as messianic prophecies.
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me;
The servant proclaims that he has been anointed by the Lord, an act which held profound symbolic and religious significance in ancient Israel, particularly in the consecration of priests, prophets, and kings. The act of anointing involved pouring or smearing consecrated oil on an individual, signifying a divine commissioning or setting apart for a sacred purpose.
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners,
The servant’s mission is a dual one: to be a messenger and a comforter.
He brings glad tidings but he also works to heal and restore those who are emotionally, spiritually, or physically wounded.
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
The servant’s proclamation includes announcing a year of divine favor, which calls to mind the Jubilee year, a unique and transformative socio-economic institution prescribed by Mosaic Law in Leviticus 25:8-19.
The Jubilee occurred every fiftieth year and was designed to promote social justice, economic equity, and the restoration of familial and tribal inheritances. During that year, debts were forgiven (see Deuteronomy 15), land that had been forfeited was returned to its original owners, and those imprisoned because of financial adversity were set free.
This practice was intended to remind the people that they had once been slaves and God delivered them; they had been without land and God allotted them a share in God’s own domain; they had been overpowered by stronger nations and God rescued them.
and a day of vindication by our God.
This event will also be a “day of vindication,” a time when God will execute judgment and bring retribution for wrongdoing.
This theme of a dual nature in God’s actions, combining mercy and judgment, is present in various prophetic writings in the Old Testament. Ultimately, God’s plan includes both the restoration of his people and the judgment of those who have opposed his righteousness.
In Luke’s gospel (Luke 4:16-21), Jesus identifies with this messenger from Isaiah, proclaiming that he is the fulfillment of this scripture. By doing so, he is saying that he is the Messiah, the Christ, the one anointed by the Holy Spirit. (Messiah in Hebrew and Christ in Greek both mean “The Anointed One.”)
I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul;
The servant responds to his announcement of good news with his own joy and gratitude for the Lord’s salvation and righteousness.
His delight is seen in the repetition of sentiments, which amplifies the emotional impact of his words.
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
God’s kindness and mercy have transformed him; it has altered his appearance. He wears salvation and justice as metaphorical garments that cover and protect him.
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
The simile of a bridegroom and bride adds another layer of meaning. Wedding attire symbolizes purity, joy, and the beginning of a new life together. Similarly, the servant, adorned with God’s salvation and righteousness, is entering into a renewed and intimate relationship with God.
The extravagance of the diadem and jewels conveys the richness and good fortune of this new life with God.
As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.
The passage ends with an agricultural metaphor filled with hope. Just as soil facilitates the growth of plants, God brings forth and nurtures righteousness and praise.
Note how this justice and praise will occur “before all the nations.” The redemption of Israel will be a demonstration of God’s power and mercy to all the world.
2nd Reading – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
The second readings for the first three weeks of Advent help us interpret the mystery of Christ and provide guidelines for how we are to behave while we await his second coming.
Today’s reading is the conclusion of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, which includes exhortation, encouragement, and blessing.
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Paul gives three concrete directives for living in a way that corresponds to God’s will:
- Maintain a perpetual spirit of Christian joy,
- Pray constantly, as an ongoing, integral part of the Christian life,
- Be grateful in all circumstances — even in the midst of affliction.
Some see this admonishment as Paul promoting a superficial form of happiness that ignores the difficulties and sufferings inherent in life. In fact, the opposite is true.
The joy and gratitude Paul urges are rooted in the fact that God has a plan for each of us and that in Christ’s resurrection, even death itself has been overcome. The only appropriate response is joy, gratitude, and constant prayer.
Jesus modeled constant prayer in his own life and taught the apostles to do the same (Luke 18:1).
“If things go well, let us rejoice, blessing God who makes them prosper. And if they go badly? Let us rejoice, blessing God who allows us to share in the sweetness of his Cross” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 658).
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances.
The gifts and graces bestowed by the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophecy, should be embraced and not stifled.
The “prophets” in the New Testament were not a distinct class of people as they were in the Old Testament but individuals with specific graces to encourage, console, correct, or instruct others.
Prophecy often carries difficult messages of admonishment or calls to conversion. A genuine prophet is usually reluctant to have to speak in this way; likewise, their audience does not always welcome their message.
Paul encourages the Thessalonian community to remain open to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the community.
Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.
While rejecting prophecies outright is a mistake, discernment is necessary. Believers should guard against false prophets by testing their messages against the truth of God’s Word and clinging only to the teachings that are in harmony with it.
May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul prays for the community’s sanctification — being set apart for God’s purposes. He desires complete holiness in every aspect of their being, in anticipation of Christ’s return.
“In the wicked, sin reigns over the soul, being settled as on its own throne in the mortal body, so that the soul obeys its lusts… but in the case of those who have become perfected, the spirit has gained the mastery and put to death the deeds of the body. It imparts to the body of its own life and there arises a concord of the two, body and spirit, on the earth. … But still more blessed is it if the three [i.e., spirit, soul and body] be gathered together in the name of Jesus, that this may be fulfilled, ‘May God sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and the soul and body be preserved entire without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’” [Origen (after 244 AD), Commentaries on Matthew 14,3]
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it.
The passage ends with a statement of confidence in God’s faithfulness.
In the original Greek, “the one who calls you” indicates a continuous action. The call we receive from God is not an isolated event but a permanent and ongoing one: he is continually calling us to be holy.
God is also faithful. He always keeps his promises; his desire for us never ceases.
Gospel – John 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Each year, the figure of John the Baptist dominates the gospel readings for the Second and Third Sundays of Advent. “Who are you?” is the pivotal question in this reading from the Gospel of John.
A man named John was sent from God.
The name John means “Yahweh is gracious.” It is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which consists of two elements: Yah, a shortened form of the name of God, and chanan, meaning “gracious” or “merciful.”
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
John the Baptist was “sent from God” at this precise moment in history to bear direct witness to the Messiah.
Note how John is described exclusively in terms of his relationship with the Messiah (the light) that is to come into the world.
The brilliance of Christ’s divine light requires no external validation. It is humanity who needs John’s testimony to illuminate the truth so that they can overcome the darkness of sin and recognize the things of God.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
The need for this distinction may have been motivated by the fact that the Baptist’s position had been misinterpreted by some (see Acts 19:1-7). John is neither a peer nor a rival of the Word.
And this is the testimony of John.
John the Baptist’s purpose was to testify about Jesus and prepare the way for people to believe in him.
Throughout the Old Testament, the patriarchs and prophets announced the salvation that the Messiah would bring. John the Baptist, as the last of the Old Testament prophets, had the distinct honor of actually pointing out the Messiah himself, making him “the greatest of those born of a woman” (Matthew 11:11).
John the Baptist’s testimony is timeless: he invites people in every generation to put their faith in Jesus, the true Light.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites
In John’s Gospel, “the Jews” refers to a specific group of Jewish religious leaders who opposed Jesus and questioned his claims and authority, which is a recurring theme throughout the narrative.
The use of collective terms like “the Jews” can serve as a literary and rhetorical device, simplifying complex interactions and relationships for the sake of clarity. However, it’s important to understand that this is not a blanket characterization of all Jewish people of that time.
to him to ask him, “Who are you?”
John’s preaching and baptizing had gained widespread attention and attracted a significant following. People were coming to John in large numbers, confessing their sins and being baptized by him in the Jordan River (Mark 1:1-8, last week’s gospel reading).
As guardians of religious authority, the Jewish leaders would naturally be concerned about anyone who drew people away from the established religious institutions; therefore, they sent a group to inquire about John’s identity.
This question is also asked of Jesus in John 8:25 and 21:12.
he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
John’s great humility is immediately on display: he explicitly and emphatically denies being the Christ.
Christ is the Greek version of the Hebrew Messiah, which means “anointed one.” This refers to the Jewish expectation that God would send a savior anointed by God to free them from their enemies.
So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.”
In Jewish tradition, there is an expectation that Elijah, the prophet from the Hebrew Bible, will return at the end of time, as a forerunner to the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6).
“Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
This refers to yet another Jewish prophetic expectation based on Deuteronomy 18:15-18: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen.”
Many Jews anticipated the arrival of this Prophet, and some believed that he would be associated with the Messiah’s coming.
John’s responses to all of their questions are negative. He is not the Messiah; he is not Elijah; he is not the Prophet promised long ago. All of these were messianic figures, and John refuses to be identified with any of them.
So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?”
Having exhausted their best attempts at what John’s claims might be, they press him further about his identity.
He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
John quotes Isaiah 40:3, identifying himself as the voice in the wilderness preparing the way for the Lord.
Some Pharisees were also sent.
The Pharisees were a prominent religious group known for their adherence to Jewish laws and traditions.
This is a different group than that in verse 19; the priests and Levites would have been Sadducees, not Pharisees.
They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
The rite of immersion in water held significant importance for the Jews during Jesus’ time. It was employed as a purification rite and as a means of incorporating Gentile proselytes into the Jewish community.
As watchmen over traditional Jewish law and practice, the Pharisees would have been interested in John’s practice of baptizing. They are questioning his authority to baptize if he is not the expected Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet.
John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
John responds by declaring the humility of his baptism compared to the one who is coming after him — Jesus.
He also points out that the one for whom John is preparing the way is already in the midst of the people but they do not recognize him. He is so much greater than John that John is unworthy to perform even the most menial servant’s task for him.
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John’s gospel frequently includes specific details, such as locations, to provide a context for the events.
This town of Bethany is on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, across from Jericho — it is not the town where Lazarus and his sisters lived, which was near Jerusalem.
The name Bethany means “place [or house] of grace.” Some ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of John, particularly early Greek manuscripts, list the location as Bethabara, “place of the crossing.” The variation likely arose due to the similarity in the Greek letters for “ny” (Bethany) and “ra” (Bethabara), making it susceptible to scribal errors over time.
Since no town called Bethabara is known from any text or archaeological site, scholars believe this name refers to the site where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land (Joshua 3-4). The exact location of that crossing is unknown today.
Connections and Themes
The Messiah is the Good News. In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah anticipates the arrival of the Messiah, the Anointed One, proclaiming a message of liberation, comfort, and restoration. The Messiah’s arrival is transformative: he brings glad tidings to the oppressed and binds up the brokenhearted. This prophecy echoes the promise of redemption and the dawn of a new era, portraying the Messiah as the bearer of ultimate good news.
This theme further resonates with our gospel reading as John the Baptist testifies about the coming of the Light into the world. John, not the Light himself but a witness to it, emphasizes that the Messiah is the source of true enlightenment and salvation, the ultimate bearer of the Good News.
The Messiah Brings the Promised Gifts. Today’s readings invite us to contemplate the gifts the Messiah brings. In Isaiah’s prophetic vision, the Messiah brings not only liberation but also an endowment of divine gifts: garments of salvation and robes of righteousness. Through God’s grace, the people experience a profound spiritual restoration, immersing themselves in God’s love and mercy.
Our gospel reading amplifies this theme as John directs our attention to the One who arrives bearing gifts beyond measure. The Messiah is the source of grace and truth, offering the profound gifts of divine favor and authentic revelation. These gifts transcend mere material abundance, encapsulating the very essence of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
Paul teaches us that our response should be one of constant rejoicing, praying, and thanks. The gifts bestowed by the Messiah find their home in hearts open to the promise, an openness created and sustained through joy, prayer, and gratitude. As we receive and embrace these divine gifts, a transformative process unfolds. We are free from our evil ways, our disdain for prophecy, and our false identities. Everything is renewed; we are fundamentally changed.
Test Everything. How do we know whether we have truly received the messianic gifts or are deceiving ourselves? Here Paul’s warning echoes resoundingly: “Test everything!”
The Messiah’s divine gifts are extended not to the powerful or privileged but to the poor, the imprisoned, the disenfranchised, the underprivileged, the lowly. The true measure of the dawn of the messianic age is found in the compassionate acts toward the marginalized: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and caring for the abused.
Sunday Readings 