The Second Sunday of Advent

Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 125; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6

In our first reading from the prophet Baruch we are told that the Lord will save his people and his city will become a place of beauty to which all will return triumphant. The Psalm is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving for all that God has done for his people. In our second reading we see St Paul praising the Philippians for all that they have done in helping him to spread the word of God. He prays that God will bless them for their faithfulness. In our gospel passage from St Luke we read of the arrival of John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for Christ. All that he does fulfils the word of the prophet Isaiah who said that there would be a fore-runner to the Messiah. The readings point to the arrival of a greater age when peace will reign on the earth. That time begins each Christmas and our season of Advent is not just a time to prepare to live in that age but also a time to prepare ourselves to play our part in the building up of that kingdom.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Transferred from December 8^th)

This solemnity celebrates the fact that Mary herself was conceived without original sin, a state which reflected the fact that she was to be the Mother of God. Though this belief was held for many centuries it was only formally proclaimed by the Church in 1854.

Readings

Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Psalm 97:1-4; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38

Today’s solemnity recalls the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother. It is fitting that she should be conceived free from the traditional mark of original sin as she would be the mother of Jesus Christ. Our first reading comes from the Book of Genesis and it reminds us of how sin entered the world through our first parents. Because of their sin, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden and a barrier was placed between humans and God. By contrast, Mary is often seen as the ‘New Eve’ for it is through her Son that we are restored to full unity with God. Our gospel text from St Luke recalls the Annunciation to Mary by the Angel Gabriel. In the scene Mary is greeted with the words, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured!’ (Luke 1:28), which shows the special place Mary already had above the rest of the sons and daughters of God. Just as important, and indeed central, is Mary’s ‘yes’ to the angel’s message because it allows the poor decision of Adam and Eve to be reversed. The second reading from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reminds us that God has chosen us in Christ to be his people and that Mary’s immaculate conception was part of God’s predestined plan for our salvation and glory. In order to achieve that salvation and glory we have to live the gospel values and say ‘yes’ to God every day, just as Mary did. Falling as it does in Advent, this solemnity also reminds us of our preparations for the birth of Christ at Christmas and of the necessity to remove sin from our own lives.

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 95; Matthew 18:12-14

In our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah we read of how God will come to console his people and to tell his people that their sin has been atoned for. The concluding part of the text tells us that God is like a shepherd who will feed his flock and gather his lambs in his arms. The Psalm continues this theme and also praises God. In our very short gospel text Jesus uses a parable about a shepherd who goes in search of one stray sheep and then rejoices when he gets it back. Jesus concludes by saying that God rejoices when someone who has strayed from the right path returns to the true path. This again is a reminder to us to look closely at our own lives and to make amends for anything that it is not in keeping with the values of the Gospel. Now is the time to repent of our sins while knowing that God is our consolation and that he rejoices at our return.

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent 

Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 102; Matthew 11:28-30

Our first reading today reminds us of the power of God and that there is no one else like him in creation for he is the Creator of all – he alone can bring us consolation and peace. Our very short gospel passage sees Jesus calling the people to himself, particularly those who are burdened and weary. The Lord tells us that he has a yoke to be carried but that his yoke is easy and light. The readings remind us again that we need to look at our lives and at our faith and acknowledge that God is the Lord of all and that Jesus is his Son and our Saviour.

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 144; Matthew 11:11-15

In our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah we again have the theme of the Lord coming to his people to console them and so change their lives for ever. The Psalm praises God for his kindness and compassion. In our gospel passage Jesus introduces the figure of John the Baptist and tells us that all the prophecies were pointing towards him. He also tells us that a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen but at the same time even the least person is as great as John. Like John, we all have a role to play in the building up of the kingdom and in the spreading of the Good News. However, we might not all do it in the same way as John but it is important that we do make a serious effort knowing that God values each of us as much as he valued John.

Friday of the Second Week of Advent

Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1; Matthew 11:16-19

In our last text from Isaiah for a while we read how the Lord laments the fact that the people were not open to keeping his commandments for if they had been their happiness would be so much greater. The Psalm reminds us that those who do follow the Lord and keep his commandments and live as he asks ‘will have the light of life.’ Our gospel text for today is a continuation of yesterday’s in which Jesus is talking about his cousin, John the Baptist. He reminds the people that when John came living a good life they called him a mad man and that when he, Jesus, arrived living the life they wanted John to live they called him a drunkard and a glutton. There is a reminder here that we cannot create God to be who we want him to be. The readings remind us that if we reject God and his Son as they are then we will never be truly happy. We are challenged today to look at our image of God and see if it is an image we have made ourselves and use to justify how we live, or do we believe in God as he really is and so live our lives according the Gospel.

Memorial of St Lucy, Virgin & Martyr

Very little is known about Lucy though pious tradition says that she turned down the advances of a suitor who, in an act of rage, denounced her as a Christian and had her killed. She suffered martyrdom at Syracuse during the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian about the year 304. She is listed among the saints and martyrs in the Roman Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I).

Feast of St John of the Cross, Priest & Doctor of the Church

Juan de Yepes Alvarez was born in Fontiveros, Old Castile, Spain, in 1542 and became a Carmelite friar in 1563. Having met St Teresa of Avila they became good friends and Teresa encouraged him to reform the male branch of the Carmelite Order as she was reforming the Carmelite nuns. This he did and founded a number of reformed monasteries. He was imprisoned by the Carmelites at Toledo for trying to reform them, and later was badly treated by the houses of his own reform which he had established. It is as a mystic that John is known as a ‘Doctor of the Church’. His best-known writings and poems are The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Nigh of the Soul, and The Spiritual Canticle. He died at Ubeda on December 14, 1591, and was canonized in 1726.

Readings:

Isaiah 43:1-3a, 4-5; Psalm 138; Romans 8:14-18 28-30; John 17:11, 17-26

Our first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah is quite appropriate for the feast of St John of the Cross because in it the Lord is telling his faithful servant that he will be with him to protect and strengthen him no matter what trials and fears he has to face. The Psalm reminds us that the Lord knows everything we do and that there is no hiding from him.

The second reading, from the letter to the Romans, also speaks of suffering as making us true heirs and brothers of Jesus Christ. Only in suffering for the sake of the Kingdom can we truly be seen as Christ-like. The Lord has called people for this and, with those he has called, he shares his glory.

In the gospel we see Jesus thanking, praising and petitioning God. He thanks the Father for those who have been faithful to him and asks that they may be strengthened for their work of building the Kingdom. He also asks that they may be united in their work in the same way that the Father and Son are united. The readings very much reflect the life which John lived in Spain and they also challenge us to work for the building up of the Kingdom even in the face of conflict, knowing that God is at our side to help us and to reward us.