Third Sunday of Advent 2025
Gaudete
Responder: Gina
Presider: Nick
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87935930592?pwd=qZlKA506MIS9okXQQxBkaKsyhsZJDV.1
John: On this Third Sunday of Advent, we are invited to reflect on joy. Joy is not to be withheld, but to be shared.
The shepherds reveal the mechanism of joy—joy may not immediately change reality, but joy is enduring as it keeps encouraging us to look for what we can do for the kin-dom of God. As such, joy becomes a lived-out experience that continues to expand the kin-dom of God in the world.
Nick: In the name of the Creator Spirit God, who gives birth to the Universe in love and justice.
May Emmanuel's joy be with you.
Nick: The Rite of Gratitude:
The Word of God, became Jesus, our human brother, among us to reveal our mission to care for each other and for all Creation.
R: Jesus was born to make all things new.
Karla: Wisdom Spirit, reached out in the prophetic voices of Creation, calling us to renew Earth.
R: .Jesus proclaimed freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind.
Penny: Grace and peace of our God, who loves us, forgives us, and is calling us to transformation and prophetic action, walks with us during this Advent season.
R: Let us worship with glad and joyful hearts
ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING: Juanita
A long time ago, a baby was born in a town called “House of Bread.” His name was Jesus. After his birth, Mary, his mother, witnessed the shepherds glorifying and praising God, filled with joy at what they had seen. She treasured these things in her heart.
Jay Cee: First, we lit the candle of hope. Hope is believing things can get better with compassion and imagination.
Patti: Next, we lit the candle of peace. Peace is what happens when everyone treats each other, themselves, and the world kindly.
Pat: Today, we light the candle of joy. Joy is when you feel so thankful you could burst with excitement and gratitude.
Linda: As we light this candle, we are reminded that, from the manger, joy is growing...growing to be God
with us. His name is Jesus, Bread of Life.
Linda: Please light your three candles on the advent wreath.
Opening Song: Hope Waits for Us In Advent by Amanda Udis-Kessler
https://youtu.be/qp80wPEc20E?si=aNAlbiwZ_Kn1dOzJ
Opening Prayer: Nick:
God of compassion,
we know many people do not feel joyful today.
Some are grieving loss, some are feeling ill.
Some people are hungry, some are worried or fearful.
We know you see and understand all of our troubles, sadness, and pain.
Even though you were born to bring joy, you do not ask us to pretend happiness when life is hard.
Today, we pray for our friends, family, and neighbors who feel far from joy.
You are close to the brokenhearted, comforting us in all our affliction so we may comfort others.
Help us be a community where people feel safe to express all their feelings, from sadness and fear to joy.
May we support one another at all times.
Amen.
Cathy W: Holy God, as we turn to our sacred scriptures,
illuminate the texts before us so that we may know Jesus—the true Word of God.
Here, we encounter the same joy the shepherds felt when they heard the news of Jesus’ birth.
May this joy move us toward gratitude and action,
nourishing our spirits as we are nourished by your message for us today.
First Reading According to Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Lucia
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Let the desert and the wilderness exult, let the Arabah rejoice and bloom.
Let it blossom profusely like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy.
The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of Our God, the splendor of the Most High.
Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees;
say to all faint hearts,
"Courage! Do not be afraid!
Look, Your God is coming,
vengeance is coming, the retribution of God;
God is coming to save you."
Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened, the ears of those who are deaf will be cleared;
then those who are lame will leap like deer
and the tongues of those who are mute will sing for joy.
The Word of God R: Thanks be to God
Responder: Psalm 146: Jesus, Come and save us.
Cathy P: Adonai, You keep faith forever, / secure justice for the oppressed, You give food to the hungry. / Adonai, You set captives free. R:
Cathy P: You give sight to the blind, You raise up those that were bowed down And love the just. / You protect strangers. R:
Cathy P: The orphan and the widow You sustain, / but the way of the wicked You thwart. R:
Our Second Reading is from a reflection by Mother Teresa in the book Total Surrender by Br. Angelo Devananda: Dave
Joy is not simply a matter of temperament. In the service of God and souls, it is always hard to be joyful —all the more reason why we should try to acquire it and make it grow in our hearts.
Joy is prayer; joy is strength; joy is love; joy is a net of love by which we catch souls. God loves a cheerful giver. She gives most who gives with joy. If in the work you have difficulties and you accept them with joy, with a big smile — in this like in any other thing — they will see your good works and glorify the Father. The best way to show your gratitude is to accept everything with joy. A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love.
Joy is a need and power for us, even physically… Jesus can take full possession of our soul only if it surrenders itself joyfully. God is joy. God is love…
Mary, is the cause of our joy; to offer cheerful obedience from inward joy; to minister to Christ in his distressing disguise with cheerful devotion.
These are the thoughts of Saint Mother Teresa, and we affirm them with Amen.
Gospel Acclamation: Mass of Advent - Alleluia by Dave & Lauren Moore
https://youtu.be/lZnbrTRI38U?si=fFEiNFfJat7ZOwym
Gospel Reading according to Matthew 11:2-11 Nick
John in prison heard about the works Christ was performing, and sent a message by way of his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you "The One who is to come or do we look for another?
Jesus said to them, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see. those who are blind recover their sight; those who are crippled walk; those with leprosy are cured, those who are deaf hear; the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the Good News preached to them Blessed is the one who finds no stumbling block in me."
As the messengers set off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the wasteland to see — a reed swaying in the wind? Tell me, what did you go out to see — someone luxuriously dressed? Remember, those who dress luxuriously are to be found in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see — a prophet? A prophet indeed, and something more!
It is about John that scripture says,
'I send my messenger ahead of you to prepare your way before you.'"
Jesus said to the crowds, "I solemnly assure you, history has not known a person born of woman greater than John the Baptist. Yet the least born into the kin-dom of Heaven is greater than he.”
The Good News of Salvation!
R: Glory and Praise to our Savior Jesus Christ!
Homily:Nick
Statement of Faith: John alternate with Chrys
We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery beyond all definition and rational understanding, the heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that ever will exist.
We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion, bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's
prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that We are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle of divine love, a source of wisdom and truth,
and an instrument of peace in the world.
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One,
the life that is our innermost life,
the breath moving in our being,
the depth living in each of us.
We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,
stretched out all around us for those
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,
Rita: So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ — the life of the world.
Gerry: God our Loving Caregiver, you sent your Son to bring joy to the world.
Through him, we have been set free, liberated from sin and death, filled with joy, and empowered to bring joy to others. But the work of joy is not yet accomplished. Your people continue to cry out from places of injustice, pain, suffering, and loss.
Marita: As we prepare for this sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
Closing: We pray for these and all unspoken prayers in our hearts. Amen.
SIGN OF PEACE: Barbara
Eternal wellspring of peace- May we be drenched with the longing for peace
That we may give ourselves over
As the earth to the rain, to the dew,
Until peace overflows our lives
As living waters overflow the seas. (Marcia Falk)
Jesus said to his disciples, “My peace I leave you. My peace I give you.” Let us now extend a sign of peace to one another as we say, Shalom, Peace be with you.
Let us offer each other a sign of peace.
Offertory:
Janet: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
It will become for us the bread of life, our Eucharist today.
R. Blessed be God forever.
Nick: By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who chose to share in our humanity.
Galen: Blessed are you God of all creation, through your goodness
We have received this wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.
R. Blessed be God forever.
One with all who have gone before us, we sing a song of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy Music by John Bacchus Dykes, Words by Peter Mayer video by Denise
https://youtu.be/A4kiEGVb3E8
We thank you for those in times past who believed the good news, and lived what they believed with courage, peace, and joy.
Pat: Blessed is Isaiah and every visionary who insisted on a better future that would break through the deception, suffering and broken promises of the age in which they lived.
Lucia: Blessed is John, in the stark desert of careful focus, inviting the people to be welcomed and to belong in your love.
Dave: Blessed is Miriam, who believed the words of Isaiah and opened herself up to the unbelievable.
Rita: And blessed is her child Jesus, who felt the sorrows of humankind in his soul, and responded with deep and tender compassion. Because of his example, we have seen the face of God and heard truth from the prophets of every age; we are blessed to journey among visionaries in our love of Christ.
Please extend your hands in blessing of our sacred meal
Nick: We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world. Send forth your Spirit upon these gifts of bread + and wine that they may become for us the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ.
Galen: On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.
Everyone lift your plate as we pray the following:
Nick: When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
All: Take and eat. This is my Body that has been given up for you.
(pause)
Everyone lift your cup as we pray the following:
Nick: Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
All: Take and drink. Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you. Do this in remembrance of me.
(pause)
Penny: Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace.
Nick: Please receive the bread and cup with the words: “You reflect the heart of Jesus”
Communion song: True Song - The Shepherd's Song (Official Lyric Video)
https://youtu.be/95WiK9QAKRY?si=eFdD800a5Kk7N-e0
Linda: Each Advent we make a place in our prayer for all those who are oppressed and marginalized. This year. We pray especially for those living and dying in the conflicts and wars of our time.
Janet: We are grateful for the tender compassion of your ways and the gift of your Spirit, always drawing beauty and balance, hope and joy from the randomness around us. Like Jesus…
Standing where he stood,
and for what he stood,
and with whom he stood,
we unite in your Spirit,
and worship you with our lives,
All: Amen.
Penny: Let us pray the Jesus prayer:
Our Father and Mother who are within us, each breath brings us to you. Your wisdom come, Your will be done, as we honor your presence within us. You give us this day all that we need.
Your bounty calls us to give and receive all that is loving and pleasurable.
You are the courage that moves us to be true to ourselves, and we act with grace and power.
We relax into your cycles of birth,
growth, death and renewal.
Out of the darkness of the womb, the void, comes new life, for you are the Mother of All things.
Your body is the Sacred Earth and and the universe beyond.
Your love nurtures us and unites us all, now and forever more.
Written by Dale Allen
Nick: May these days of Advent pass with hopeful joy and concern for each other.
May the compassion of our hearts transform into action in the kindom all around us.
May the coming birth of Jesus gladden us, inspire us and enjoin us to walk in the light of gratitude and peace. AMEN
Dismissal: Karla
Joyful (Dante Bowe) | CJ & Friends Dance-Along with Lyrics
https://youtu.be/iKfyruK9TbM?si=PYjHI7K3KNhHKfVH
