In the First Reading, Isaiah the prophet writing after the Exile, declares that he has been sent by God to usher in the age of salvation for Jerusalem and all God’s people. Jesus used this prophecy to announce the programme of his own ministry.

In the Second Reading, Paul tells the Thessalonians how they should live as they await the second coming of Christ. He urges them to always be joyful and thankful.

The subject of the Gospel is the same as that of last Sunday: the witness of John the Baptist to Jesus. John summons all to faith in Jesus. He declares that he himself is not the light, and tells the people that, unbeknownst to them, the light Jesus is already present among them.