Third Sunday in Advent

Third Sunday in Advent

Readings:

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
 
“Come thou long-expected Jesus” by Charles Wesley
Come thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free,
From our fears and sins relieve us,
Let us find our rest in thee:
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art,
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now thy gracious kingdom bring;
By thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone,
By thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne.

Reflection: When John the Baptist shows up on the scene, people are naturally curious about this strange prophet. Many believe he could be a new Moses or Elijah. If he was, John would be the person who would bring to an end the suffering of the Jewish people at the hands of the Romans. But John quickly tells the people that still another, more powerful person is coming, the true Savior. So often we, too, can be distracted by interesting or important people in our world. We can even begin to think of them as the savior we long for. Only Jesus can be our true Savior. Until his return, we must continue to pray “Come thou long-expected Jesus.”

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come. We wait patiently for you alone. Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come. Amen.