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Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35:1-6A, 10
Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Summary
Patience, Strength, Fortitude and Faith ? the readings and Gospel
invite us to believe in ourselves, in others and in the unwavering
commitment of our salvation through our Lord. The readings present
us with a promise from God that we will be saved and the Gospel de-
scribes the significance of John the Baptist the fulfillment of God?s
commitment to our salvation.
Reflection
The first reading, Isaiah 35:1-6A, 10 describes the joy we will feel
when we 'see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God¯. We
will no longer be deserted souls, we will 'be strong¯ and 'fear not¯
and we will help others to do the same. Our eyes will be opened, we
will clearly hear, our hearts and minds will be cleansed and we will re-
joice in our arrival to God?s holy city of Zion. The second reading,
James 5:7-10, focuses on the importance of being patient and he
uses the illustration of the farmer to show how patience provides the
pathway to the ultimate objective, in the farmer?s case, the 'precious
fruit of the earth¯. James asks that we must be patient, we must en-
dure and we must work together to ulti-
mately realize our 'precious fruit¯ of sal-
vation. Finally, in the Gospel according
to Matthew 11:2-11 he describes John
the Baptist?s continual effort to point
others towards Jesus the Messiah. While
