Saturday, December 2, 2023

03-DEC-'23, First Sunday of Advent


First Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 2


Reading 1

Isaiah 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7

You, LORD, are our father,

our redeemer you are named forever.

Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,

and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?

Return for the sake of your servants,

the tribes of your heritage.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,

with the mountains quaking before you,

while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,

such as they had not heard of from of old.

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you

doing such deeds for those who wait for him.

Would that you might meet us doing right,

that we were mindful of you in our ways!

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;

all of us have become like unclean people,

all our good deeds are like polluted rags;

we have all withered like leaves,

and our guilt carries us away like the wind.

There is none who calls upon your name,

who rouses himself to cling to you;

for you have hidden your face from us

and have delivered us up to our guilt.

Yet, O LORD, you are our father;

we are the clay and you the potter:

we are all the work of your hands.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,

from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.

Rouse your power,

and come to save us.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,

look down from heaven, and see;

take care of this vine,

and protect what your right hand has planted

the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,

with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

Then we will no more withdraw from you;

give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.


Reading II

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Brothers and sisters:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ.


I give thanks to my God always on your account

for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,

that in him you were enriched in every way,

with all discourse and all knowledge,

as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,

so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift

as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will keep you firm to the end,

irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful,

and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord.


Alleluia

Psalm 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Show us Lord, your love;

and grant us your salvation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Mark 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Be watchful! Be alert!

You do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man traveling abroad.

He leaves home and places his servants in charge,

each with his own work,

and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

Watch, therefore;

you do not know when the lord of the house is coming,

whether in the evening, or at midnight,

or at cockcrow, or in the morning.

May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”


Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections


Do Not Miss Out…


“Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Mark 13:33


To which time is our Lord referring? He is referring to the time of His coming. But it must be understood that even though He came to us once in the flesh long ago, and though He will return again in the flesh to judge the living and the dead at the end of time, He never ceases to come to us day and night by the transforming gift of grace. Are you attentive to this coming? Or do you miss out on the countless blessings of God’s grace that He wants to bestow upon you every day, all day?


The world has many distractions. We are distracted by the lure of riches, the indulgence of our appetites, and the constant noise of modern media, electronic gadgets and the like. These and many other daily distractions make it very difficult to be constantly “watchful” and “alert.” This is because our attention span is limited. Though some may learn to “multi-task” to a certain extent, no one can continually divide their attention between the presence of God and the distractions of the world.


Some may argue that it is necessary to engage the world today. It is not possible to continually pray and think only about God. But those who would be tempted to think this do not understand the attentiveness and watchfulness to which we are called.


Being watchful and attentive simply means that God is central in our lives and is the motivation and purpose of all we do every day. Our love for and service to God cannot be divided. We cannot set aside some time for the world and other times for God. Instead, everything we do, every day, all day, must have the glory of God and the fulfillment of God’s perfect will as the central and exclusive purpose of our lives. Thus, if we interact with the world, tune into social media, fulfill household chores, put in extra hours at work, etc., we must constantly ponder the simple question, “Lord, am I doing this for Your glory and in accord with Your will?” We must never fail to ask ourselves that question. We must always have the glory of God and the fulfillment of His will as the central purpose and motivation for all that we do. If we can live this way, then we will discover that it becomes increasingly easy to always and everywhere be attentive to and watchful for God’s will.


Reflect, today, upon that to which you most often turn your attention. What is it that you think about the most each day? To what are you most attentive and watchful? If the answer to that question is not the ongoing promptings of God and His grace, then make note of that fact. Humbly pray that you can change and begin to form a transforming habit of daily keeping your attention on our Lord so that He will become your daily guide and focus in all things.


Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body


AN ADVENTAGEOUS ADVENTURE


“No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but You doing such deeds for those who wait for Him.” —Isaiah 64:3


We should take Advent as seriously as a new mother takes her pregnancy. The Christmas season is not merely a memory, celebration, or blessing, but a new, extremely important encounter with the incarnate Jesus. St. Charles Borromeo taught: “This holy season [Advent] teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of His contemporaries; His power has still to be communicated to us” (from Office of Readings, Monday of the first week of Advent). Christmas will be an exceptional grace or an opportunity sadly missed.


Therefore, our Advent preparation for Christmas is very important for God’s kingdom, the Church, the world, the future, our families, and ourselves. “Our hearts should be as much prepared for this coming of Christ (Christmas) as if He were still to come into this world” (St. Charles Borromeo). Moreover, if we are not prepared for Christ’s unique Christmas coming this year, we are not prepared for His coming at the end of the world.


Consequently, “be constantly on the watch! Stay awake! You do not know when the appointed time will come” (Mk 13:33). “Wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:7). Make this the best Advent ever, preparing for Christ’s greatest Christmas coming of your life.


Prayer:  Father, make this Advent more than we can ever ask for or imagine (see Eph 3:20).


Promise:  “Would that You might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of You in our ways!” —Is 64:4


Praise:  “Praise the Lord, O my soul; I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live” (Ps 146:1-2).


Reflection 3

By Mons. José Ángel SAIZ Meneses, Archbishop of Seville

(Sevilla, Spain)


“I say to all: ‘Watch!’”


Today the universal Church begins a new Liturgical Year with the first Sunday of Advent. This is a time of hope —a time in which the memory of the first coming of the Lord is renewed in our hearts, in humility and concealment— and the longing for the return of Christ in glory and majesty is renewed.


This Sunday of Advent is also deeply marked by a call to vigilance. Thus, Saint Mark includes in Jesus' words the command to "watch" three times. The third time, he does so with a certain solemnity: "What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” (Mk 13:37). It's not just an ascetic recommendation, but a call to live as children of light and of the day.


This call is addressed not only to his disciples but to all men and women of goodwill, as an exhortation reminding us that life does not have only an earthly dimension, but is projected towards eternal life beyond this world. The human being, who is created in the image and likeness of God, is endowed with freedom and responsibility, and has the capacity to love. Accordingly, we will have to account for our lives —how we have developed and used the abilities and talents received from God; whether we have selfishly guarded them, or whether we have made them fruitful for the glory of God and the service of others.


The fundamental disposition we must live and the virtue we must exercise is hope. Advent is the time of hope par excellence, and the entire Church is called to live in hope and to become a sign of hope for the world. We prepare to commemorate Christmas, the beginning of Christ’s coming: the Incarnation, the Nativity, his passage through the earth. But Jesus has never left us; he remains with us in various ways until the end of time. For this reason, "with Christ joy is constantly born anew" (Pope Francis).


Prayers


Lord of all grace, You come to me day and night, speaking to me, calling me and desiring to guide me. May I learn to turn my full attention to You every day so that nothing but You and Your holy will lead me always. Jesus, I trust in You.


Lord, please do make me an instrument of Your peace.  When I encounter those who have no peace and are filled with anxiety, help me look at them with compassion and love.  Help me to know that these souls need Your Mercy and that I am the one sent to dispense it.  Jesus, I trust in You.


Lord Jesus, awaken my heart and mind to receive your word and to prepare for your coming again. Free me from complacency, from the grip of sin and worldliness, and from attachments to things which pass away. May I always be eager to receive your word and be ready to meet you when you come again.

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