Advent 2024

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 15 December 2024 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Violet or Rose (Gaudete Sunday)

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Philippenses – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Philippians

Philippians 4 : 4-7

Fratres : Gaudete in Domino semper : iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus : Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis : sed in omni oratione et obsecratione, cum gratiarum actione, petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum.

Et pax Dei, quae exsuperat omnem sensum, custodiat corda vestra et intellegentias vestras, in Christo Jesu, Domino nostro.

English translation

Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpassed all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 15 December 2024 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet or Rose (Gaudete Sunday)

Introit

Philippians 4 : 4-6 and Psalm 84 : 2

Gaudete in Domino semper : iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus : Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis : sed in omni oratione petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum.

Benedixisti, Domine, terram Tuam : avertisti captivitatem Jacob.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men, for the Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous, but in everything by prayer let your requests be made known to God.

Lord, You have blessed Your land. You have turned away the captivity of Jacob.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Aurem Tuam, quaesumus, Domine, precibus nostris accommoda : et mentis nostrae tenebras, gratia Tuae visitationis illustra. Qui Vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Incline Your ear to our prayers, o Lord, we beseech You, and make bright the darkness of our minds by the grace of Your visitation, You Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, and as we listened to the readings from the Sacred Scriptures, we are invited to reflect today on the one figure that is part of the story leading up to the coming of the salvation from God. And this figure was that of St. John the Baptist, the one that had been sent from God to prepare the path for His coming into this world. We heard of everything that God had done in sending us all His servants, His messengers and prophets, and through all of these we are reminded of just how beloved we are by God, and truly how fortunate we are because God has always patiently loved us that He gave us all the assurance of His salvation, and how we should also be thankful for all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord to fulfil the missions entrusted to them.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach in which the story of the life, ministry and departure of the famous prophet Elijah was told to us. The author spoke of the wonderful things which prophet Elijah had done in the land of Israel as he laboured hard against the people and their king whose hearts and minds had been hardened against the Lord, facing persecutions and ordeals in his ministry, and having to flee for his life and safety on several occasions. But the Lord was with Elijah and he continued to labour and do great things for the Lord and His people, performing many miracles and wonders among them, proving that the Lord is the one true God and Master over all the people, and not those pagan idols and gods like Baal that they had worshipped.

Then, the author of the Book of the prophet Sirach spoke of the other things that Elijah had done, culminating in how he was eventually taken away from the world in a flaming chariot. God sent a flaming chariot to take Elijah away just as He foretold to him, and his successor, the prophet Elisha, witnessed this great event. This event is also significant because it means that Elisha did not suffer from death, one of the few recorded in the Scriptures that had returned to the Lord not through bodily and physical death, but taken up into Heaven, like that of Enoch in the early days of the world, Elijah himself, and later on Mary, the Mother of God, assumed body and soul into Heaven. And it was a popular belief that Elijah would come and return once again into the world to fulfil God’s promises.

It is a belief of the Church since the days of the early Christians that St. John the Baptist had the spirit of the prophet Elijah in him, or that he was none other than the prophet Elijah himself, returning in the flesh into this world to complete what the Lord had entrusted to him, in calling the people of God and all those who have been wayward in their lives to return to their Lord and Master, to be forgiven from all of their many sins and wickedness. We are reminded of this today so that we can realise that God has done all these for our sakes, out of His generous love and kindness, His mercy and compassion. And He is also the Lord and Master over all things, over life and death, and in the end, death shall have no hold over us, as our part shall be eternal life and true happiness with God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist we heard of the same matter that we have discussed from the earlier first reading passage about the relationship between the prophet Elijah and St. John the Baptist. We heard from the Lord Jesus Himself telling His disciples that the prophet Elijah had already come into their midst but the people had rejected him and refused to listen to his words. There was also a specific reference to St. John the Baptist being the prophet Elijah. Now, regardless whether it was truly Elijah that had come into this world again, or whether St. John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah in him, that is immaterial, as what matters is that God sent St. John the Baptist to carry out His will, and the man of God dedicated himself fully to the very end. 

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John of the Cross, a renowned Carmelite saint who helped to reform the Carmelite Order and built the foundation of a popular religious order and inspired countless other people who were touched by his great faith and commitment to God. He was born as Juan de Yepes y Álvarez in the region of Castile in Spain into the family of an accountant, his father, who was married to an orphan of the lower class. His family faced a lot of tough early years as St. John of the Cross’ father and elder brother passed away due to malnourishment and disease. The young St. John of the Cross then went to a school which took care of his basic needs and education, and his upbringing eventually led him to be called to religious life as a member of the Carmelite Order and became a priest.

St. John of the Cross met St. Teresa of Avila afterwards, the other reformer who together with St. John of the Cross would eventually reform the Carmelite Order, establishing the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, marking all those Carmelites who sought to return to the original rules and intentions of the founders of the Order, which had been relaxed by the earlier Popes and leaders of the Order, leading to the corruption of those members of the Carmelites, who became corrupted and misled by the worldly temptations and desires, and by the impurities and corruptions of sin due to the lack of discipline and piety in their lives, which St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila worked hard to reverse by returning to the original rules and discipline to root out the corruption and wickedness among the Carmelites.

Thus, those Carmelites who sought to return to the original intentions of the founders became known as the Discalced Carmelites, as they frequently went barefoot (discalced or without shoes), practicing ascetic and simple lifestyle without all the excesses and comforts that their predecessors had enjoyed and experienced in lavish lifestyle incompatible to the spirit of the Carmelite Order. Through the many efforts of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, despite the many challenges and oppositions that both of them and the other reformers had faced, but they continued courageously with their efforts and reforms, and they pioneered great examples of their faith and dedication to God as examples for many others around them. Their piety and dedication inspired many even right up to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect upon the words of the Scriptures and also the life and examples shown to us by St. John of the Cross, let us all therefore remind ourselves of the need for all of us to centre our lives upon the Lord and turn away from all sorts of distractions and temptations around us, all the false paths and leads that do not bring us towards God and His salvation. This Advent season we should remind ourselves that we must return to the true spirit of Christmas, so that in all of our preparations and efforts to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season we will put the Lord, the One Whom we ought to be celebrating about at the very centre of our rejoicing, jubilation and commemorations, and not the false and illusory pleasures of the world.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator continue to help and strengthen us all in our journey, and help us so that we may always strive to focus our lives on Him and do whatever we can to be good role for one another in how we carry out our lives and how we glorify Him by each and every moments in our daily living, like those of the prophet Elijah, St. John the Baptist and all the holy saints of God, our holy predecessors. May all of us be strengthened and encouraged in this journey we have during this time of Advent, and be ever greater in our commitment and piety, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 17 : 10-13

At that time, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus answered, “So it is : first comes Elijah; and he will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come; and they did not recognise him; and they treated him as they pleased. And they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”

Then the disciples understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist.

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Saturday, 14 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the Son of Man, Whom You make strong for Yourself. Then, we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

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Saturday, 14 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Sirach 48 : 1-4, 9-11

Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, his words a burning torch. He brought a famine on the people and in his zealous love had them reduced in number. Speaking in the Name of the Lord he closed down the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

How marvellous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses. It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.

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Friday, 13 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we are all reminded that we should continue to keep closely attuned to the Lord and maintain our focus on Him amidst all the temptations and false leads in this world, and amidst all the secular rejoicing, festivities and celebrations of the worldly Christmas that may not have their focus on the Lord. We should always remember that ultimately Christmas is a great celebration and rejoicing because of the Lord and His great and most wonderful love by which He has sent us all His assurance and salvation through His Beloved Son, born into this world two millennia ago and which we celebrate as this celebration of Christmas.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which God told His people, the Israelites in the kingdom of Judah about how they all would have prospered and lived wonderfully had they obeyed His words and commandments, listened to Him and followed the path that He has revealed to them. At that time many of the Israelites had wandered off from the path of the Lord and disobeyed His words, refusing to follow the advice and exhortations from the prophets and messengers of God sent to them to remind them. However, the Lord Who truly loved all of His people refused to give up on them and that is why He kept reminding them through His prophets like Isaiah, to help at least some of them to find their bearing in life and to be able to return back to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the Lord telling the people of the frustrations He faced from many among them because of their lack of faith and trust in Him, and how they kept on changing their thoughts and ways according to their ever changing priorities and preferences, and as their leaders often criticised Him and St. John the Baptist, the one who was the Herald of the Saviour. They refused to listen to St. John the Baptist when he called on all of them to repent from their sins, and criticising the man of God for his ascetic lifestyle and appearance. Then, afterwards, they also refused to listen to the Lord and criticised Him because He was not following the strict rules and practices of the Law which they had interpreted and enforced.

Essentially from what we have heard, the people of God applied their own inconsistent standards and demands, being swayed by their own desires and ambitions, instead of listening to the Lord and embracing His truth and Good News. They were too focused on their own worldly pursuits and ambitions that they were not able to open their minds and hearts to listen to the Lord Who has delivered unto them His truth, His love and the revelation of what He wanted to tell them. And this is in a way, a warning for each and every one of us as well, in how we must be careful and not give in to the temptations of worldliness that can lead us to our downfall by distracting us from the path towards God and His salvation. This Advent, we should remind ourselves what is the true focus and reason for our lives, and that is the Lord, our God and Master.

As Christians, all of us should strive to centre all of our preparations and efforts to the Lord, to the One Who had made all things possible for us, and He Who has always loved us and constantly provided for us without cease. We should always remind ourselves and one another that our lives should always be focused on the Lord, following His words and commandments, entrusting ourselves to His Providence and care, and walking in the path that He has shown us, so that by our dedication and obedience, we may find the surest and straightest path towards the eternal life and salvation that we can gain through God alone. We should make good use of the many opportunities provided for us so that we may continue to grow ever stronger in our faith and trust in the Lord.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Lucy, also known as Santa Lucia, or St. Lucy of Syracuse, a great Roman martyr and saint of the early fourth century. She was born to a noble Roman family during the late third century, during the time of the rise to power of Emperor Diocletian, the Roman Emperor who would become infamous among Christians for his particularly intense persecution against them and the Church. St. Lucy devoted herself to God and was very pious in her life, and she committed herself to a sacred vow of virginity to God. Yet, things came to issue when her mother, who took care of St. Lucy betrothed her to a rich and young pagan nobleman, having worried about her future after the passing of her father when she was just merely five years old.

St. Lucy’s mother, Eutychia, was also then suffering from a disease, and through the intercession of another famous local martyr, St. Agatha, who appeared to St. Lucy in a dream, her mother was cured, and this prompted St. Lucy to persuade her mother to give generously from her family’s estate and patrimony to the poor and the less fortunate. However this action was not viewed kindly by the pagan nobleman that St. Lucy was betrothed to, and he reported St. Lucy to the Roman governor, Paschasius. Paschasius forced St. Lucy to burn offerings to the Roman Emperor, but she courageously refused, and when she was sentenced to be defiled in a brothel, the people assigned to bring her to the brothel could not manage to move her, as the Lord protected her from defilement. Eventually, she was martyred by a sword thrust into her throat.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have discussed earlier from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, and also from the life and examples set by St. Lucy of Syracuse, holy martyr of the Church, let us all therefore remember that our lives in this world should be holy and exemplary, and we should always focus on the Lord at all times that we do not end up losing sight on His hope and salvation, and be tricked and misled by all sorts of worldly temptations and distractions around us. May the Lord our most loving God and Master continue to help and guide us all in our journey so that we may come to Him and find true happiness and consolation in Him at the end of our life’s journey. Amen.

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Friday, 13 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 11 : 16-19

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain : ‘We played the lute for you, but you would not dance. We sang a funeral song, but you would not cry!’”

“For John came fasting, and people said, ‘He is possessed by a demon!’ Then, the Son of Man came. He ate and drank; and people said, ‘Look at this Man : a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet, wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

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Friday, 13 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the man who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the Law of YHVH and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For YHVH knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

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Friday, 13 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Isaiah 48 : 17-19

Thus says YHVH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel : I, YHVH, your God, teach you what is best for you; I lead you in the way that you must go. Had you paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Your descendants would have been like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their names never cut off nor blotted out from My presence.