Part 3 of a
weekly series of commentaries on the daily reading for Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary. The readings for the Third Week of Advent are reprinted from
Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005
Consultation on Common Texts.
Pre-Sunday Psalm: Psalm 126
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| OT | Habakkuk 2:1-5 | Habakkuk 3:2-6 | Habakkuk 3:13-19 |
| NT | Philippians 3:7-11 | Philippians 3:12-16 | Matthew 21:28-32 |
Third Sunday of AdventIsaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126 or Luke 1:46b-55
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Post-Sunday Psalm: Psalm 125
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
| OT | 1 Kings 18:1-18 | 2 Kings 2:9-22 | Malachi 3:16—4:6 |
| NT | Ephesians 6:10-17 | Acts 3:17—4:4 | Mark 9:9-13 |
The first Sunday of Advent was all about a call for a deliverer. The second Sunday of Advent was about what the deliverer would accomplish. The third Sunday of Advent is all about giving thanks for that deliverer, hence its name of Gaudete Sunday, from the initial Latin word of the
traditional carol for it. As one would expect, the readings for this week are largely about thanks.
However, while thanksgiving is indeed the theme of Gaudete Sunday and the readings leading up to the day, the readings after Sunday stress what we must do to prepare for the coming of the deliverer.
