Second Sunday of Advent. Year C - Sunday, December 5, 2021
(EPISODE: 336)
Readings for Sunday, December 5, 2021 - Second Sunday of Advent. Year C
FIRST READING: Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6. "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy."
SECOND READING: Philippians 1:3-6, 8-11
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 3:1-6). Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all people shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
GOSPEL: Luke 3:1-6
(Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1972030007 - Valenciennes, France. 2019-09-12. Preaching of Saint John the Baptist by Frans Pourbus the Elder (1575-1643). Museum of Fine Arts in Valenciennes, France.- 59300 Valenciennes, France - By Adam Jan Figel)
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for the Second Sunday of Advent. Year C - Sunday, December 5, 2021, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/advent-2c-faith-hope-and-love-ep-336?si=f3d2f5c3be7b475b8c24cce9950d91ad (EPISODE: 336)
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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 make it quite clear that all people are called and invited; people of every race, nation and language. 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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Fr Peter Homily -
It is said that most of our adult fears come from some trauma or crisis in our early lives. People's fear of heights or reptiles, of needles or thunder, usually stem from some unpleasant childhood experience. Although I'm not sure what event triggered my phobia, undoubtedly one of my great fears is being lost in a desert. No particular one, just some hot arid environment. No water, no signposts, no hope. I could not live like John the Baptist who seemed to embrace the uncertainty, the loneliness and that heat. Could that be what he was trying to teach us, how to find God where we least expect God to be?
Perhaps what I really fear is living so close to the edge of life and death. No excess, no luxury and no choices.
Think of all the people who had a desert experience. Obviously, the Bible is full of desert people, mainly because there was no other choice. There was Moses, Moses the outlaw, the wanderer, the refugee. The Israelites after him, disobedient, and hard-hearted, wandered in the desert for 40 years to learn submission to the will of God. David fled for his life, from his own seditious son Absalom, hiding in the desert. When Jesus began his mission, St Luke says the Spirit led him into the desert. When Saul experienced a conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent three years in the Arabian Desert. John the Baptist lives in the desert. Hundreds and thousands of hermits, anchorites and monks have found wisdom and holiness in the desert.
Why? The desert is such a basic, unforgiving place. There are no illusions in the desert, just a total, vast, harsh emptiness. You live in total dependency, from hand to mouth, from day to day. No distractions, no TV, no microwaves, no cars. Everything becomes focused on the bare facts of existence, of yourself and God.
It was in this experience of utter desolation and dependency that Moses discovered God, as did Jesus and a whole army of holy people who lived life on that edge where grace and humanity meet.
The metaphorical Desert of the scriptures for us means three things:
Learning to live with less. All the things the advertisers convince us that we need to be fulfilled human beings are lies! And we know it deep down. More clutters the spirit. Less frees it. Advent is the time to learn to do with less so that we may become more. Getting down more to the bare challenge of existence deepens our dependency on God. We have a better chance of meeting God when we have fewer distractions.
The desert means solitude. Prayer. Stepping out of the fast lane and dedicating 10, 15, 30 minutes to prayerful solitude to listen for the word of God.
Paradoxically the desert also means company. It reveals that we too need to be connected with others to network the Christian life, spiritual direction, study groups, prayer groups, and regular meetings to reflect on the meaning of the gospel in my life.
Where are these deserts to be found in this urban landscape? It does need some planning. It is possible in our own home if we are disciplined enough to remove ourselves from the noise and clutter, or even to go to a park or just a silent walk. Of course, those of us lucky enough to live near a beach or a mountain has some of the basic requirements. But the really lucky ones are those who live in the country with open fields away from noises of people and traffic.
Whatever space you find try to free your minds from things that are not of God. Nothing to fear there.
As Paul; suggests this is an excellent time to improve your knowledge, deepen your perception, become pure and blameless, and prepare for the Day of Christ.
Which is the great message of Advent: Do it now. (Now is the acceptable time)
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References:
PROLOGUE - Fr Paul W. Kelly
HOMILY BY FR PETER DILLON
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.
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1972030007 -Valenciennes, France. 2019-09-12. Preaching of Saint John the Baptist by Frans Pourbus the Elder (1575-1643). Museum of Fine Arts in Valenciennes, France.- 59300 Valenciennes, France - By Adam Jan Figel
Second Sunday of Advent. Year C (Sunday, December 5, 2021)
(EPISODE: 336)
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{{hello everyone}}
In the Name of the Father (+) and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
We continue on our Advent journey. We now light the second Advent candle. The "Bethlehem Candle" - symbolizes the journey of Faith. Reminding us of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.
{The Presider/helper lights the second candle}
Presider: Lord Jesus. You call us to prepare your way, making the paths straight. Lord have mercy.
Presider: You promise to bring to completion the good work you have begun in us. Christ Have mercy.
Presider: O Wisdom, Come to teach us the way of truth.. Lord Have mercy.
**(no Gloria in Advent)
COLLECT:
Let us pray,
Almighty and merciful God,
may no earthly undertaking hinder those
who set out in haste to meet your Son,
but may our learning of heavenly wisdom
gain us admittance to his company.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God, forever and ever.
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Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment,
We humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and hold firm to the things of heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
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Psalm 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6. "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 3:1-6). Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all people shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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PREFACE: Advent I
EP II
Communion side. pwk: RH
(theme variation: v1 )
(pre+post variation: v2-short)
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{Cheers and thanks everyone for this time of prayer and reflection - I hope you have a blessed week.}
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DISMISSAL:
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection " - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
"O Come. Lord. (Advent) " - In Memory of Paolo Mario (Paul) Giacomantonio (1968-2020).
By Paul W. Kelly. Based on the Ancient church "O Antiphons " of Advent.
Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics, By Stefan Kelk, 2020.
[ Production - KER - 2021]
May God bless and keep you.
{extra text: unspoken for Advent -
Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA.
"The Psalms " by The Grail - 1963, 2009.
Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray " - (1993) }
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - SHURE MOTIV MV5
Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor
[ Production - KER - 2021]
May God bless and keep you.
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