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Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
December 14, 2025
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download, in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel, a spiritual text and commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
3rd Sunday of Advent
of Gaudete
Jubilee of the Prisoners
"Are you the one who is to come?"
Or should we expect another one?
Matthew 1:2-11
Readings from the Mass
Mass leaflet
Universal Prayer
In solidarity with those who are incarcerated,
The Lord's Prayer by Father Philippe Maillard, chaplain,
allows us to cross walls...
A video to listen to with your heart!
Consult the Lectio Divina page, which invites you to read the Gospel in a prayerful atmosphere so that you may be touched in your heart. It is important not to rush to read commentaries or homilies before having this personal experience of encountering Christ in Scripture.
Next, if you wish, you can read the meditations below which will enrich your personal reading and meditation.
Meditation by Pope Francis
Today we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent, marked by Saint Paul's invitation: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5). The joy to which the apostle exhorts us is not a superficial or purely emotional one, nor is it worldly or the joy of consumerism. No, it is not that kind of joy, but rather a more authentic joy, the flavor of which we are called to rediscover. The flavor of true joy. A joy that touches the very depths of our being, as we await Jesus, who has already come to bring salvation to the world, the promised Messiah, born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary. The Liturgy of the Word offers us the appropriate context for understanding and experiencing this joy. Isaiah speaks of a desert, of arid land, of steppe (cf. 35:1); The prophet has before him weak hands, faltering knees, misguided hearts, the blind, the deaf, and the mute (cf. vv. 3-6). This is the setting for a desolate situation, an inexorable, godless destiny.
But finally, salvation is announced: “Be strong, do not be afraid!” says the prophet. “Here is your God. He is the one who comes to save you” (cf. Isaiah 35:4). And immediately, everything is transformed: the desert blossoms, consolation and joy fill hearts (cf. vv. 5-6). These signs, announced by Isaiah as revealing the salvation already present, are fulfilled in Jesus. He himself affirms this in his response to the messengers sent by John the Baptist. What does Jesus say to these messengers? “The blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised” (Matthew 11:5). These are not words, but deeds that demonstrate how the salvation brought by Jesus embraces the whole human being and regenerates them. God entered history to free us from the slavery of sin; He pitched his tent among us to share our existence, heal our wounds, mend our injuries, and give us new life. Joy is the fruit of this intervention of salvation and love from God.
We are called to let ourselves be seized by this feeling of exultation. This exultation, this joy… But if a Christian is not joyful, something is missing from that Christian, or else they are not a Christian! The joy of the heart, the inner joy that propels us forward and gives us courage. The Lord comes into our lives as the liberator; he comes to free us from all forms of bondage, both internal and external. He is the one who shows us the path of faithfulness, patience, and perseverance, because at his return, our joy will be complete. Christmas is near; the signs of his presence are evident in our streets and in our homes; here too, in St. Peter's Square, the Nativity scene and the Christmas tree have been set up beside it. These outward signs invite us to welcome the Lord who always comes and knocks at our door, knocks at our hearts, to come near to us; they invite us to recognize his footsteps in those of our brothers and sisters who pass by us, especially the weakest and most destitute.
Today, we are invited to rejoice in the imminent coming of our Redeemer; and we are called to share this joy with others by bringing comfort and hope to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the suffering. May the Virgin Mary, the “handmaid of the Lord,” help us to listen to God’s voice in prayer and to serve Him with compassion in our brothers and sisters, so that we may be ready for the Christmas season, preparing our hearts to welcome Jesus.
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POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, December 11, 2016
[ Multimedia ]
Homily
Draw from the source
This third Sunday of Advent is a day of joy. We rejoice because the Lord is near. His coming into the world is a source of hope. We find this good news throughout today's biblical readings. They reveal a God who delivers us from evil. This God has a special love for the poor, the lowly, and the excluded. Later, Jesus will tell us that they hold first place in his heart.
In the first reading, Isaiah reveals to us the wonders of the coming salvation. He addresses a people who have suffered greatly. After spending forty years in exile in a foreign land, they will be able to return home. This return is presented as a “hurricane of joy.” God cannot accept the tragic situation of the exiles, the prisoners, the enslaved populations. He therefore decides to change things. The biblical text uses the word “vengeance.” But God’s vengeance is not about punishing or crushing. If he intervenes, it is first and foremost to heal and save. By reading this biblical text, we discover that it is the prelude to a far greater liberation. Through his death on the cross and his resurrection, Jesus will open the path to true life for all humanity. The earth and its inhabitants will be transfigured.
In the second reading, Saint James speaks to us of the glorious coming of the Lord. This will be infinitely better than Israel's return to its land. It will be our definitive entry into God's world. Saint James tells us that this is not for the immediate future. He invites us to be patient. He shows us the example of the farmer. When the farmer has sown, he patiently awaits the harvest. Similarly, it is throughout our lives that we prepare ourselves for this final encounter with him.
With Jesus, we witness the progressive fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies. This is the good news that is announced to John the Baptist. John has been imprisoned because he was a thorn in the side of the authorities. From the depths of his prison, he reflects. He has many questions about Jesus. What he hears about him does not correspond to what he had foretold; he takes advantage of a visiting room to ask his faithful disciples to go and ask him the most important question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
John the Baptist is imprisoned, too, in his questioning, in his doubts: “After all, could I have been mistaken?” Coming from John the Baptist, this question is daunting. We haven't forgotten his provocative beginnings, his successes, his vehement pronouncements in the desert and on the banks of the Jordan: “Prepare the way of the Lord… There is someone among you whom you do not know… Repent… Change your lives…” It was a time of euphoria and certainty. Jesus receives John the Baptist's question with great serenity. He shows the messengers that the prophets' promises are being fulfilled: “Go and tell John: the blind see, the lame walk, the sick are healed… and most importantly, the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
Like John the Baptist, we too can be trapped by our doubts and questions. We can also become entrenched in certainties that are not the truth of the Gospel. Too often, we have a false idea of Jesus. He will always be far beyond anything we can say or write about him. With today's Gospel, we understand that our God is not a vengeful God, but a God who lifts up and saves. The poor, the lowly, and the excluded have first place in his heart.
And if we want to be in communion with this Savior Jesus, we must align ourselves with him. He sends us to those who suffer, those who are hungry, those who are isolated. Through them, he is there, waiting for us. We need him to open our eyes, our ears, and above all, our hearts to their distress. It is with Jesus that the good news is proclaimed to the poor. If we have understood this, this Sunday will truly be one of joy.
As we gather for the Eucharist, we turn to the One who is the source of our joy. Lord, we entrust to you those who are preparing for the approaching holidays with feverish activity or a certain disillusionment. Grant them the grace to open themselves to the coming Salvation, in the true meaning of Christmas. AMEN
Sources: Feu Nouveau magazines, community missal, Saisons bibliques, personal files.
Understanding the readings
with Marie-Noëlle THABUT
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