Advent Sundays

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Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the occasion of the Second Sunday of Advent, which reminds us all that we are all ever closer to the coming of the Christmas season, and hence we should also be reminded of the need for each and every one of us to be ever more focused on the Lord our God, Jesus Christ our Saviour, in Whom we should be celebrating and commemorating this upcoming Christmas for, and for Whom we have committed our Advent preparations for. If we have not done what we should in preparing ourselves well and properly for the coming of the Lord, then we have not done our Advent observances and actions in the right way. This is why we are constantly being reminded of these things so that we may truly focus ourselves more on the Lord and everything that He has done for us, through His coming into this world that we are going to celebrate this Christmas.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, and echoed by the other parts of the Scriptures we have heard this Sunday, we are all reminded of the salvation of God which He has promised to all of us, and our attention in particular are directed to the one whom the Lord had sent into this world as His messenger, Herald and as our guide so that all of us may truly find our way to Him, His salvation and grace. This Herald which He has sent into our midst was none other than St. John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord just before His coming. St. John the Baptist was called by the Lord and prepared by Him from before he was even born, just in the manner how the prophet Isaiah had prophesied it all to be. He is the one whom Isaiah spoke as the voice that cried out in the wilderness, calling on everyone to make straight the way for the Lord.

These messages and prophecies of the prophet Isaiah came to the people of God just at the right time for them. Contextually, the people of God in Judah where Isaiah ministered at, had been beset by many hardships and difficulties, humiliations and challenges throughout many years, all of which were actually due to their lack of faith and trust in the Lord, as they chose to abandon Him, refuse to obey His path and ways, and failed to observe His Law and commandments. They persecuted God’s prophets and messengers, and yet, God in His ever enduring and wonderful love, continued to care for all of His wayward people, and sent them more reminders and help, and through Isaiah, He gave the most obvious and clearest prediction and prophecy, assurance and guarantees, of the coming of the time of grace and salvation through His Saviour.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same message from the Gospel of St. Mark, in which we heard of the account of how St. John the Baptist, the one whom Isaiah prophesied about, began his ministry in proclaiming the coming of the Lord to all of God’s people, and how he performed his works in the wilderness, calling upon all of them to return to the Lord’s Presence, seeking Him with humility and desire to repent from their sins and wickedness. Through St. John the Baptist, the Lord has shown all of us, His beloved people, that He has always kept us first and foremost in His thoughts, and He has always wanted us to be reconciled and reunited to Him. Through St. John the Baptist, many people came to be touched by the Lord, and they came to Him, all seeking for forgiveness and mercy, through the baptism which St. John the Baptist had done at the River Jordan.

St. John the Baptist told all the people that the Lord was about to come very soon, and He would descend upon all of His loved ones, and hence, that was why those who listened to him, all of them ought to prepare themselves thoroughly and wholly so that they might be truly worthy and ready to welcome the Lord when He comes. St. John the Baptist kept on reminding the people of God’s grace and compassion, and how He would fulfil everything that He had promised to all of them. God would send His salvation to all of us through Jesus Christ, His one and only begotten Son, the Son of God Most High, incarnate in the flesh, that all of us may truly see the fullness of God’s love and grace, His compassion and mercy, becoming tangible and approachable to us.

Then, in our second reading today, we are also reminded by the Apostle St. Peter, whom in his Epistle spoke to the faithful regarding the matter of the coming of the Lord, and how each and every one of us as Christians should respond to it. St. Peter spoke of the fulfilment of God’s promises, in how He will come again just as He has told all of His disciples, and He will fulfil and accomplish all of that in due time, at a time of His own choosing. No one but the Lord Himself knows when this exact moment is, and this is why all of us as Christians, we are all always reminded to keep ourselves and our lives truly holy and worthy so that in all the things that we say and do, in our every interactions and in our way of life, we will always be truly righteous and just, good and dedicated as true and genuine Christians.

And this also brings our attention yet again to the nature of our Advent commemorations, and what the significance of the current Advent time and season is to us. In Advent, we prepare ourselves spiritually and wholly to welcome the Lord our God, commemorating with great joy His coming into this world which He had done and accomplished over two thousand years ago. However, in Advent, we are not merely just remembering what had historically happened two millennia ago in Bethlehem, when our Lord was born, but it also serves to remind and prepare us all for the Second Coming of Christ, which St. Peter had mentioned and touched upon in his Epistle today.

The word Advent itself came from the word ‘Adventus’ which means the onset, the coming and the appearance of something great, that is also in Greek as ‘Parousia’. Now both Adventus and Parousia also have that additional meaning and interpretation of the Second Coming of Christ, marking our expectation of the coming Kingdom of Our Lord. Therefore, this season of Advent, all of us need to keep well in mind and remember that we are also preparing ourselves not just to celebrate the joyful event of the past and history, but even more importantly, by reminding ourselves of what the Lord had done through His Son in saving us from destruction and damnation, thus, all of us should prepare for the time of His Second Coming, when He will come again to judge the whole world.

If our attitude and behaviour had been like those people of God in the past, the Israelites and the people of Judah who had not listened to the Lord, disobeyed Him and abandoned His Law and commandments, focusing more on the worldly temptations, pleasures and coercions, then unfortunately, we may be caught unprepared and unaware of when the Lord comes again in a sudden surprise, and we will have to account for our failures to obey Him, for our wrongdoings and wickedness in life. That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not take this time and season of Advent for granted, and we should make good use of this time and opportunities that had given to us such that we may truly prepare ourselves to be worthy of God, His love and compassionate kindness.

This Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent we focus on the theme of ‘Peace’ after the theme of ‘Hope’ from the First Sunday of Advent last week. Today we are all reminded that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has brought God’s peace into our midst, bringing unto us all the peace that He has promised all of us, also His hope, joy and love. Many of us have not experienced true peace in life because we have often distanced ourselves from God and sought satisfaction and fulfilment from various worldly means and attachments we have, which cannot bring us true and lasting peace, or satisfaction and joy. It is in the Lord alone that we may find this true and lasting peace, and hence, this is why, on this Sunday, let us all reflect on our lives and how we have lived them, and also how we have journeyed through this season of Advent so far.

If our Christmas preparations have been mostly about ourselves and all the celebrations and festivities, then perhaps, we would want to refocus our attention once again on Christ, the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas itself in the first place. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas, and without Him and all that He has done for us, none of us can afford to rejoice, be happy or be at peace at all. If we follow the way how the secular world often celebrate Christmas, with all the excessive marketing and pursuits of pleasures and happiness, very soon we will realise that after all the celebrations had ended, then we will feel empty and cold inside us, and all of our celebrations done without proper focus and understanding may bring us more problems and worries rather than peace and joy.

That is why, each and every one of us should make good use of this time and period of Advent so that we may truly centre ourselves and our lives once again on the Lord, our God and Saviour. Let our every actions, words and deeds be filled with true faith and dedication to Him, and let all of us proclaim Him and His Good News through all of the ways we do in journeying and living through this blessed time and season of Advent properly, by witnessing to His love and grace, proclaiming His peace, hope, joy and love to all and everyone around us, to our families and even strangers and acquaintances we encounter in life. And let us all also pray to the Lord, that amidst our world darkened with many conflicts and wars, in various parts of the world, that He, the Prince of Peace, may bring about lasting peace and harmony in our world today. Amen.

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Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Mark 1 : 1-8

This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, “I am sending My messenger ahead of You, to prepare Your way. Let the people hear the voice calling in the desert : Prepare the way of the Lord, level His paths.”

So John began to baptise in the desert; He preached a baptism of repentance, for the forgiveness of sins. All Judea and all the people from the city of Jerusalem went out to John to confess their sins, and to be baptised by him in the river Jordan. John was clothed in camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and honey.

He preached to the people, saying, “After me comes One Who is more powerful than I am; I have baptised you with water, but He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit.”

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Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

2 Peter 3 : 8-14

Do not forget, beloved, that with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling His promise, though some speak of delay; rather, He gives you time, because He does not want anyone to perish, but that all may come to conversion.

The Day of the Lord is to come like a thief. Then, the heavens will dissolve with a great noise; the elements will melt away by fire, and the earth, with all that is on it, will be burnt up. Since all things are to vanish, how holy and religious your way of life must be, as you wait for the day of God, and long for its coming, when the heavens will dissolve in fire, and the elements melt away in the heat.

We wait for a new heaven and a new earth, in which justice reigns, according to God’s promise. Therefore, beloved, as you wait in expectation of this, strive, that God may find you rooted in peace, without blemish or fault.

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Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 84 : 9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

Would, that I hear God’s proclamation, that He promise peace to His people, His saints. Yet, His salvation is near to those who fear Him, and His glory will dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. Faithfulness will reach up from the earth while justice bends down from heaven.

YHVH will give what is good, and our land will yield its fruit. Justice will go before Him, and peace will follow along His path.

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Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 40 : 1-5, 9-11

Be comforted, My people, be strengthened, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her that her time of bondage is at an end, that her guilt has been paid for, that from the hand of YHVH she has received double punishment for all her iniquity.

A voice cries, “In the wilderness prepare the way for YHVH. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley will be raised up; every mountain and hill will be laid low. The stumbling blocks shall become level and the rugged places smooth. The glory of YHVH will be revealed, and all mortals together will see it; for the mouth of YHVH has spoken.”

Go up onto the high mountain, messenger of Good News to Zion, lift up your voice with strength, fear not to cry aloud when you tell Jerusalem and announce to the cities of Judah : Here is your God! Here comes YHVH Sabaoth with might; His strong arm rules for Him; His reward is with Him, and here before Him is His booty. Like a shepherd He tends His flock : He gathers the lambs in His arms, He carries them in His bosom, gently leading those that are with young.

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(Usus Antiquior) Second Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Offertory

Psalm 84 : 7-8

Deus, Tu conversus vivificabis nos, et plebs Tua laetabitur in Te : ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam Tuam, et salutare Tuum da nobis.

English translation

O God, turning, You will bring us life, and Your people shall rejoice in You. Show us, o Lord, Your mercy and grant us Your salvation.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Placare, quaesumus, Domine, humilitatis nostrae precibus et hostiis : et, ubi nulla suppetunt suffragia meritorum, Tuis nobis succurre praesidiis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Be appeased, we beseech You, o Lord, by the prayers and offerings of our lowliness, and where no support of merits is at hand, do You hasten to us with Your aid. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Communion

Baruch 5 : 5 and Baruch 4 : 36

Jerusalem, surge et sta in excelso, et vide jucunditatem, quae veniet tibi a Deo tuo.

English translation

Arise, o Jerusalem, and stand on high, and behold the joy that comes to you from your God.

Post-Communion Prayer

Repleti cibo spiritualis alimoniae, supplices Te, Domine, deprecamur : ut, hujus participatione mysterii, doceas nos terrena despicere et amare caelestia. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Filled with the food of spiritual nourishing, we humbly beseech You, o Lord, that by our partaking of this mystery You would teach us to condemn earthly and love heavenly things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Second Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Matthew 11 : 2-10

In illo tempore : Cum audisset Joannes in vinculis opera Christi, mittens duos de discipulis Suis, ait illi : Tu es, qui venturus es, an alium exspectamus? Et respondens Jesus, ait illis : Euntes renuntiate Joanni, quae audistis et vidistis.

Caeci vident, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur, surdi audiunt, mortui resurgunt, pauperes evangelizantur. : et beatus est, qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me. Illis autem abeuntibus, coepit Jesus dicere ad turbas de Joanne : Quid existis in desertum videre? Arundinem vento agitatam? Sed quid existis videre? Hominem mollibus vestitum? Ecce, qui mollibus vestiuntur, in domibus regum sunt.

Sed quid existis videre? Prophetam? Etiam dico vobis, et plus quam Prophetam. Hic est enim, de quo scriptum est : Ecce, ego mitto Angelum meum ante faciam Tuam, qui praeparabit viam Tuam ante Te.

English translation

At that time when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, sending two of his disciples, he said to Him : “Are You He Who is to come, or do we look for another?” And Jesus making answer, said to them, “Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.”

“The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel preached to them, and blessed is he who shall not be scandalised in Me.” And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the desert to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold those who are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings.”

“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yea, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My Angel before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You.’.

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(Usus Antiquior) Second Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Psalm 49 : 2-3, 5 and Psalm 121 : 1

Ex Sion species decoris ejus : Deus manifeste veniet.

Response : Congregate illi sanctos Ejus, qui ordinaverunt testamentum Ejus super sacrificia.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi : in domum Domini ibimus. Alleluja.

English translation

Out of Zion the loveliness of His beauty, God shall come manifestly.

Response : Gather all of you together His saints to Him, who have set His covenant before sacrifices.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : I rejoiced at the things that were said to me, we shall go into the house of the Lord. Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Second Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Violet

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

Romans 15 : 4-13

Fratres : Quaecumque scripta sunt, ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt : ut per patientiam et consolationem Scripturarum spem habeamus. Deus autem patientiae et solacii det vobis idipsum sapere in alterutrum secundum Jesum Christum : ut unanimes, uno ore honorificetis Deum et Patrem Domini nostri Jesu Christi.

Propter quod suscipite invicem, sicut et Christus suscepit vos in honorem Dei. Dico enim Christum Jesum ministrum fuisse circumcisionis propter veritatem Dei, ad confirmandas promissionem patrum : gentes autem super misericordia honorare Deum, sicut scriptum est : Propterea confitebor Tibi in gentibus, Domine, et Nomini Tuo cantabo.

Et iterum dicit : Laetamini, gentes, cum plebe ejus. Et iterum : Laudate, omnes gentes, Dominum : et magnificate eum, omnes populi. Et rursus Isaias ait : Erit radix Jesse, et qui exsurget regere gentes, in eum gentes sperabunt. Deus autem spei repleat vos omni gaudio et pace in credendo : ut abundetis in spe et virtute Spiritus Sancti.

English translation

Brethren, what things so ever were written, were written for our learning, that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one mind, toward one another, according to Jesus Christ, that with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore receive one another, as Christ had also received you, unto the honour of God. For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for His mercy, as it is written : “Therefore, I will confess to You, o Lord, among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Your Name.”

And again He said : “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people.” And again : “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and magnify Him, all you people.” And again, Isaiah said : “There shall be a root of Jesse, and He Who shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.” Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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(Usus Antiquior) Second Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Introit

Isaiah 30 : 30 and Psalm 79 : 2

Populus Sion, ecce, Dominus veniet ad salvandas gentes : et auditam faciet Dominus gloriam vocis suae in laetitia cordis vestri.

Qui Regis Israel, intende : qui deducis, velut ovem, Joseph.

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

English translation

People of Zion, behold, the Lord shall come to save the nations, and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard in the joy of your heart.

Give ear, o You Who rule Israel, You Who lead Joseph like a sheep.

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

Excita, Domine, corda nostra ad praeparandas Unigeniti Tui vias : ut, per ejus adventum, purificatis Tibi mentibus servire mereamur : Qui Tecum vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Stir up our hearts, o Lord, to prepare the ways of Your only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be worthy to serve You with purified minds. You Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.