Third Sunday of Advent
The Light of Joy
Prayer of Joy
Loving God,
Christmas is almost here! Fill us with the joy of this season!
Fill us with the joy Mary and Elizabeth felt when they reunited after Mary was told that Elizabeth, long considered barren, was with child.
“Lord, Elizabeth declared to Mary, ‘Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you would be fulfilled.'”
Help us believe that Your promises to us have been fulfilled in Jesus. May we rejoice in Him. Amen.
-Father Phil Paxton, CP
The true joy experienced in the family is not something casual or accidental. It is a joy born of the profound harmony among persons, which gives us a taste of the beauty of being together, of supporting one another along the journey of life. But at the heart of that joy is always God’s presence, his welcoming, merciful, and patient love toward all. If the doors of the family are not opened to the presence of God and his love, the family loses its harmony, selfishness prevails, and joy is extinguished. Instead, the family that lives the joy of life, the joy of faith, spontaneously communicating it, is the salt of the earth and light of the world. It is the leaven for all of society.”
-Pope Francis, — Angelus prayer, Dec. 27, 2015
Scripture:
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:10-18
Reflection:
Cristian Martinez Montalvo, CP, shares his reflection for this First Sunday of Advent.
Cristian is a professed Passionist student studying at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago, Illinois. Originally from Puerto Rico, Cristian is a member of the Passionists of St. Paul of the Cross (Eastern) Province.
English:
Spanish:
Prayer of Joy
Loving God,
Christmas is almost here! Fill us with the joy of this season!
Fill us with the joy Mary and Elizabeth felt when they reunited after Mary was told that Elizabeth, long considered barren, was with child.
“Lord, Elizabeth declared to Mary, ‘Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you would be fulfilled.'”
Help us believe that Your promises to us have been fulfilled in Jesus.
May we rejoice in Him. Amen.
Call to Action:
The third week of Advent is one of Joy. “Joy is the true gift of Christmas…We can communicate this joy simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness.” –Pope Benedict XV