A Commentary and Reflection on the Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent – Year C. The Liturgical Sense of the Scriptures Podcast, by Catholic Author and Theologian David L. Gray. READINGS: Zephaniah 3:14-18a, 1 Philippians 4:4-7, and Luke 3:10-18
The Liturgy of the Catholic Mass Leads to the Fullness of Joy
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,” says Jesus, but “I have come that they may have life, and have it to more abundantly.”[1] Yes, the human heart intrinsically desires more because God fashioned us by His own hands to yearn for the fullness of life in Him. When this innate human longing is expressed in a disordered way, it always leads to greed, gluttony, drunkenness, addiction, hoarding, and more of every other sin. Yet, when our desires are aligned with His goodness, they become a beacon guiding us ever closer to His sacred heart.
Consider other instances in sacred Scripture when God either gave, promised, or inspired us to ask for more—beginning in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve had an entire ecosystem to themselves and lacked for nothing. In Genesis 15:5, God says to Abram, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. Then He said to Abram, “So shall your offspring be.” During the Israelites’ journey in the desert, did God not promise mana daily to sustain them – did they lack for anything?[2] This is the same God who challenged His people to bring them their whole tithe in the storehouse to test His graciousness to give them more, saying, “See if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you, and pour down upon you blessings without measure.”[3] The Apostle Paul told the Church at Corinth, “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”[4] Christ our Lord teaches that prayer is the gateway to receiving more from God. He says, “. . . whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”[5]
It is true that we were created with the divine capacity to partake in the boundless generosity of God, not to amass it for personal gratification selfishly, but to extend it graciously to others. In sharing the abundance we have received, we participate in the very essence of divine love and generosity.
Thus, when we fixate on desires that lead to our downfall, we crave them incessantly because they never truly satisfy; they fail to fill the void within us or make us whole. As we indulge in these disordered appetites and partake in the works of Satan, we become his emissaries of death, leading others astray along the same path of destruction. Conversely, when our hearts are attuned to the goodness of God, we find true joy and fulfillment. Our hearts, now resonating with the divine love of Christ, radiate outward, embodying the sacred Heart of Jesus that dwells within us.
When our hearts are filled with God’s love, they overflow with joy, a joy that finds its true satisfaction in Him alone. Indeed, true joy is rooted in the divine, transcending worldly desires that can never truly fulfill us. Show me a soul that is perpetually discontent, and you will have shown me a soul that has yet to experience the transformative love of God within.
Today’s Readings at Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent – Year C point the three divine treasures the heart rejoices in above all else: our salvation, His abiding presence among us, and our holy calling to emulate God by living the divine beatitudes.
In the First Reading from Zephaniah 3:14-18a, the prophet summons us to rejoice and sing joyfully for our salvation: “The LORD has removed the judgment against you; he has turned away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you have no further misfortune to fear.” Each Sacrament that Christ has bestowed upon His Church, particularly the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, prepares our souls to leap with joy at beholding the full glory of God in Heaven—the divine vision that only the holy ones can see and live. The Holy Eucharist is but a shadow and foretaste of the true elevation and communion with God.
In his letter to the Church at Philippi, which forms our Second Reading from 4:4-7, Saint Paul exhorts, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Here, the Apostle profoundly conveys that for the Christian, peace transcends human endeavors. It is neither a product of legislation nor negotiation, nor can it be discovered through isolation or ignorance. Rather, peace is embodied in a person—Jesus Christ. We are bestowed with peace because in prayer, we commune with Him, and through His abiding presence, our souls find divine solace.
When the crowds sought guidance from John the Waymakerin today’s Gospel Reading from Luke 3:10-18, they asked, “What should we do?” The prophet replied with timeless wisdom, saying, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do likewise.” To the tax collectors, he advised, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed,” and to the soldiers, he urged, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” The essence of John’s counsel is a profound reminder that we already possess enough. When we withhold our gifts, our disordered desire for more multiples, but when we give generously, we find ourselves never lacking anything we need. The splendor of being a Christian lies in the truth that we can never outgive God, who gave His very life for us, and that nothing we offer can surpass the infinite gift of God Himself. For, in Him, we find the fullness of life and the enduring joy that truly satisfies.
This is just one way how the readings at Mass this Sunday connect to the Liturgy and how the Liturgy is forming us how to live our lives in the world. Be in the world what you have received through the Liturgy.
[1] John 10:10.
[2] Cf. Exodus 16.
[3] Malachi 3:10.
[4] 2 Corinthians 9:8.
[5] John 16:23.
