Third Sunday in Advent (B) – December 11, 2011

Christ Is Our Light

John the Baptist came to witness to the Christ, God's light in a dark world. This is a reason to rejoice. We are not alone. God is with us. His Son will soon be here.

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION:  December 8, 2011

MP3 PODCAST In this week's audio podcast, the message is: Rejoice! The Lord is near! This is a time for joy, for Jesus will soon be with us.

FIRST READING The reading from Isaiah speaks to the greatness of God. And, the greatness of his servant who carried his message. This is a time of divine favor, a time for joy.

PSALM Instead of a psalm, this Sunday's hymn is the Magnificat, the Blessed Virgin's song to God. It is a hymn of praise and a proclamation of God's mighty acts in the nation and in her life.

SECOND READING In his first letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul wrote, “Rejoice always.” This should be the hallmark of the Christian, a sense of deep joy that is infectious.

GOSPEL Last week, we met the figure of John the Baptist in Mark's gospel. This week, we turn to John's gospel to discover how the Baptist defined his role. He was not the Messiah. He was an Elijah like figure that would set the stage for the Lord's coming.

CHILDREN'S READINGS In the story for the first reading, George always looked to help people. His friend Eddy was put on restriction for arguing with his parents. How could George help? He would throw his friend a party. True friends give each other hope. So does God. In the story for the gospel, Sandy tried to make a difference with a holiday clothes drive. Many of her classmates questioned her motives. Like John the Baptist, Sandy wanted to serve, not out of self glory, but for the good of others.

CATECHISM LINK In this week's Catechism Link, we discuss different types of laws and God's grace.

FAMILY ACTIVITY John the Baptist was the witness to God's light, Jesus. To focus on Christ as our light, create a Christmas candle prayer corner, a place in a darkened corner that would highlight the message of this Sunday's gospel.