Homily Second Sunday Advent. Year C - Sunday, 9 December 2018
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm: Ps 125. Psalm: Ps 24:4-5. 8-9.10.14. “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. ”
Second Reading: Philippians 1:3-6. 8-11
Gospel Acclamation: Luke 3:4. 6
Gospel: Luke 3:1- 6
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Second Sunday Advent. Year C - Sunday, 9 December 2018 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/advent-2c-9nd-dec-2018-2018-episode-128 (EPISODE: 128)
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John the Baptist boldly proclaims that the Messiah's arrival (long foretold and expected for generations), was now imminent.
The image of roads being straightened and mountains levelled is a great image about a journey. All humans are on a lifelong journey towards God’s house where we are all invited to be members of God’s family. The straight paths, the flattened mountains, the filled in valleys also makes it quite clear that all people are called and invited; people of every race, nation and language, and religion are invited. The paths must be straight to allow people to approach and to allow us to approach God.
“men and women who are more equal and more respectful of others dignity, are the best way for God’s salvation to come.” [II]
It is TIME.
Time to get ready for the arrival of the Son of Man; the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world. It is time to prepare the way, and level the mountains, and straighten the pathways. It is TIME, to repent of our sins and be ready to welcome God's chosen one and his Kingdom.
It is one thing to repent of our sins out of fear – fear of God's punishment or anger. But it is quite another to repent of our sins and wrongdoing because we are so sorry that our sin has grieved God's heart and worked against the values of the Kingdom. There is nothing quite so devastating as seeing a parent disappointed and let down by our actions. That cuts deeper than anything. God’s disappointment can spur us on to love more closely according to God’s vision, than merely doing the right thing out of a sense of duty.
We want to repent and be better, more loving, more just and more forgiving, faithful children of God, not because we fear God's anger and punishment but because we love God, and God loves us infinitely. And we cannot bear to cause God grief and disappointment when we may not have lived up to the ways that God lovingly calls us to live.
The readings give us some food for thought. There are a few really beautiful lines of Scripture: The Lord will grant us "Peace through integrity, and honour through devotion" -- This is the way of true peace from God: by walking in the ways of integrity and doing what is right, come what may. Despite the storms and shocks of life, God’s peace is attained from being united with Christ, and walking in his ways of justice and love. God’s peace will sustain and guide us.
Our conscientiousness and devotion to the Word of God, and to prayer and good works will give us fulfilment in a way that nothing else could.
And the wonderful words of St Paul from the second reading, (it is one of the most beautiful and touching passages in the Scriptures) : “My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more, and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best.”
May we always do what is best by an increase of knowledge and perception that can only come from a deepening (day by day) of our love. That theme of ever-deepening love and practical kindness has been flowing through the Scriptures of late, and rightly so. It reminds me of that other quote from Scripture. "By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." (John 13:35).
The central trait and quality of a true Christian, (a disciple of Christ, and friend of Jesus), is not first and foremost a merely visible keeping of every rule and regulation, not first of all their bold and unbending speaking out against all that is wrong and bad in the world. Our discipleship is not primarily about the eloquence, length or frequency of one's daily prayers, (for as St Paul said elsewhere: “if I did all those things but did them without love, it would do me NO GOOD whatsoever!!” Being a more loving, compassionate, merciful and reverent person, and deepening our love that derives from God who is love, and having the fruits of that love show in our words, our actions and our priorities and choices … now THAT is something .. in fact, that is everything…
In this coming week, let us ask God to show us the paths that need straightening.. the barriers that need lowering… For this is the time and season for intense and urgent preparation and conversion so that we might love more deeply, as Christ does, and so that everything we do may flow from and find its source and destination in God, who is LOVE.
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REFERENCES:
FR. PAUL W. KELLY
ACTION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR C. BY MARK LINK S.J.
[ii] SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ.
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Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
Psalm verses are taken from “The Psalms: the Grail Translation. Inclusive Language Version.” ©1963, 1995, 2004 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. London.
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg’s 1993 book “Together we pray”. Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
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May God bless and keep you.
Second Sunday Advent. Year C
(Sunday, 9 December 2018) (EPISODE: 128 )
“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. ”
The Lord be with you.
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In this season of Advent, we feature an Advent Wreath – with its candles and green branches— it is a reminder of God's promise to our world: Christ, our Light, and our Hope, will come.
(we light the second Advent Candle ****)
2nd CANDLE – (purple)
THE BETHLEHEM CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF PREPARATION – God kept his promise of a Savior who would be born in Bethlehem.
O Key of David, O Flower of Jesse’s stem.... commanding at your will the gates of Heaven: O royal Power of Israel...Come, break down the prison walls - for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.
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Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Kyrie eleison/ christe eleison/ kyrie eleison
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Advent 1
Euch Prayer II
Communion side. pwk: RH
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Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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