3rd Sunday of Advent
ZEPHANIAH 3:14-18
Rejoice, Daughter of Zion,
shout for joy, Israel,
be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Jerusalem.
The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemies.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.”
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah is a contemporary of Jeremiah, and he preaches to the people immediately before and during the reign of the great King Josiah (640-609 BC).
In his first preaching, there is an impressive threat to those who do not fulfill the Law. The Judgment of God is presented, with words that have inspired the famous “Dies Irae.” He then speaks of “The Remnant of Israel,” those who will remain faithful to the Lord, and finally announces the salvation of Jerusalem, with the words we read in today’s liturgy, with stunning images that seem to us an anticipated presence of the Good News of Jesus:
Rejoice – The Lord has removed your enemy – The Lord, a powerful savior, is in your midst – You will fear no evil – He renews his love for you, He dances for you with shouts of joy.
Magnificent image of God: in the midst of his people, to save, dancing with joy at the triumph of his own.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
In the same line of deep affection that we explained last Sunday, Paul continues to exhort his beloved Philippians. Today’s text perhaps emphasizes more than any other the “fruits of the Spirit”: joy, gentleness, trust in the nearness of the Lord, absence of anxiety, prayer, peace.
José Enrique Galarreta, S.J.