SOCL, Advent3A

Sunday December 14, 2025

See

Christ does not respond with arguments—he responds with transformed bodies. The blind who see, the lame who walk, lepers cleansed. Theology proves itself in flesh, not in concept. Each healing is incarnate word, each restoration a verse written upon human skin. The gospel is not merely preached: it is touched in recomposed bones and returned gazes.

We demand spectacular proofs while ignoring everyday evidence. We want divine fireworks when God works in domestic repairs. The miracle is not the lightning that splits heavens—it is sight returned to one who stopped seeing, the step recovered by one who forgot how to walk. Revelation operates on human scale because it addresses humans. Grace needs no spectacle.

Genuine transformation is rarely dramatic—it is cumulative, almost imperceptible. God does not sign celestial autographs; he restores worn cartilage without asking for public recognition. Those who wait for thunder miss the whispers where grace actually works—repairing what is broken with the patience of a craftsman, not the haste of a magician.

Listen

Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10; Psalm 146 (145); James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

Reflect

(Matthew 11:2-11)

-Identify evidence of positive change in your life that you have ignored while waiting for more dramatic signs. What small restorations have you dismissed while demanding spectacular transformations that never arrived as you imagined them?

-Consider that the answer to your deepest questions may already exist—scattered across multiple experiences that require patient attention to be recognized as a coherent pattern of grace acting silently.

-How would your perspective change if you began cataloguing evidence of goodness instead of accumulating proof of divine absence? What inventory of restorations could you compile today if you paid attention?

Pray

God of accumulated healings and silent transformations, open our eyes to evidence we ignore by demanding spectacular formats. Teach us to read the catalogue of small restorations you write upon our flesh. May we recognize your presence in gradual transformations, not only in dramatic interventions that feed our vanity. Amen.

The Word today, Advent3A

December 15 - December 20, 2025

Monday 15 December

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17 Balaam was a prophet in Moab. When the king of Moab tried to get him to curse Israel, he uttered instead a remarkable blessing. The last lines speak of a star and a sceptre, symbols of the coming Messiah, picked up in Matthew 1-2.

Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus counters a trick question and yet it is obvious that he think John the Baptist came from God.

Tuesday 16 December

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Both praise and blame are found in this reading. In these days, when affirmation is considered so healthy, we can listen to both!

Matthew 21:23-27 This is one of the blindingly obvious parables. The closing identification with the acceptance or rejection of John should not leave us off the hook. Are there people today whose uncomfortable word I resist?

Wednesday 17 December

The next 8 days, December 17-24, form a special period within Advent, intensifying the preparation for the birth of Jesus. The readings, while perhaps unfamiliar, are chosen with the greatest care. The Gospel writers did indeed have Old Testament anticipations very much in mind. The “match” between the first reading and the Gospel in these final days should help us reflect even more deeply as we mark the birth of the longed-for Messiah.

Genesis 49:2, 8-10 The great patriarch Jacob is about to die and he gathers his sons around him for a final blessing. The blessing to Judah (= son, tribe and tribal area) includes a reference to the sceptre—pointing to the much later Davidic dynasty. God’s fidelity to David’s line is fulfilled in Jesus. It thus prepares for the Gospel, which is the genealogy in Matthew.

Matthew 1:1-17 This apparently dry genealogy tells several stories. The story of Jesus ancestors—with many not so holy! The women are mightily significant—God writing straight with crooked lines of human lives! There is hope for us all, seems to be part of the message. The grand schema is also eloquent, as it moves from promise and possession to loss and longing. Thus the writer sets the stage for the birth of Jesus.

Thursday18 December

Jeremiah 23:5-8 The oracle cited here has its historical place in the Exile (as is very clear from the reading itself). But the real reason for the choice lies in the first couple of verses, which underline God’s faithfulness to David and his offspring. This prepares directly for the Gospel.

Matthew 1:18-24 This passage continues where yesterday’s left off. God-with-us—Emmanuel—reminds us of God’s word to Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Jeremiah and so forth. Also to us, if we reflect back.

Friday 19 December

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25 The birth stories of Jesus in Matthew 1- 2 and Luke 1-2 often echo highly signifcant accounts in the Old Testament. Today’s reading from Judges is an example: an annunciation to a woman who is childless. There is even a similarity between the word nazirite (a kind of prophet) and Nazareth (or Nazarene).

Luke 1:5-25 Our Gospel is also an annunciation but this time to a childless father, to Zechariah the priest who is to become the father of John the Baptism.

Saturday 20 December

St Fachanan, bishop

Isaiah 7:10-14 This passage from Isaiah is explicitly cited in Matthew’s account of the annunciation to Joseph in a dream.

Luke 1:26-38 The annunciation to Mary (the fourth in our sequence) matches the pattern of Old Testament annunciation scenes and then, significantly, breaks it. Mary is open to God’s call.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025dc, December 14). Third Sunday of Advent. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121425.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings

One another, Advent3A

December 14, 2025

Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10; Psalm 146 (145); James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

Brothers and sisters, as we joyfully await the glorious coming of the Christ, let us pray for the needs of the church, our community, and the world:

For the Church: that we, who have been created in the image and likeness of God may always find joy through our relationship with Christ: let us pray to the Lord.

For a deeper knowledge and connection to Jesus: that Spirit will lead us into a fuller relationship and help us know and love Jesus more fully: let us pray to the Lord.

For a joyful spirit: that as we recognize the gift of our relationships and the many blessings that God has given us, our hearts may be grateful, and our spirits filled with joy: let us pray to the Lord.

For freedom of spirit: that God will free us from selfishness, prejudice, and fear so that we may be true sisters and brothers to one another: let us pray to the Lord.

For the growth of reverence: that God will open our eyes so that we may see the presence of God in one another and help us to listen attentively to each other: let us pray to the Lord.

For a renewal of the gift of the Holy Spirit: that God will stir up the Spirit that has been given to us so that we may announce the Good News, share hope, and offer compassionate care to those around us: let us pray to the Lord.

For a renewal of prayer: that we may recognize how God is communicating with us in every moment and allow our words and deeds to be a response to the love that God has shown us: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are held captive, whether by economic situations, lack of education, or addiction: that God will free them and open new opportunities for life, growth, and wholeness: let us pray to the Lord.

For all searching for God: that the lights, hymns, and warm greetings of this season may be a doorway to finding God in all things and to recognizing that God is with us: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who must wait: that God's loving presence will give strength and hope to those who are in isolation, awaiting surgery or the birth of a child, or who are caring for the sick or dying: let us pray to the Lord.

For a new appreciation of the created world: that we may find God in all things that God has created and rejoice that God is close to us this day: let us pray to the Lord.

For all public officials: that God will move them to recognize and take action to address the needs of the poor, the homeless, the elderly, and children so that no one will be forgotten in our communities: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are traveling: that God will guide their journey, keep them safe, and free them from delays: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are suffering: that God will comfort the grieving, heal the sick, guide the homeless to safe places with warmth, provide food for the hungry, and safety to those fleeing violence: let us pray to the Lord.

For peace: that God will bring forth a new springtime of peace in every land, end the fighting in Ukraine and Sudan, maintain the ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and turn darkness into light, pain into joy, and fear into hope:let us pray to the Lord.

God of joy and exultation, you strengthen what is weak; you enrich the poor and give hope to those who live in fear. Look upon our needs this day. Make us grateful for the good news of salvation and keep us faithful in your service until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives for ever and ever. Amen.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025dc, December 14). Third Sunday of Advent. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121425.cfm

-Cormier, J. (1995). Lord, Hear Our Prayer: Prayer of the Faithful for Sundays, Holy Days, and Ritual Masses.