Tag: Second Sunday of Advent

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Second Sunday of Advent

Picture of Advent wreath with all 5 candles lit and the words advent hope love joy peace above wreath

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Responsorial: Psalm 85:9-14
Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14
Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120620.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

“…a voice of one shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”

Our readings today reinforce the Advent theme calling us to prepare for the coming of Christ. We all need to do a little tidying up before Christmas arrives. But what does that mean exactly?

There’s this interesting image from our first reading. Isaiah says we need to prepare for the Lord. He says we need to make his path straight, fill the valleys, level the mountains and hills (Isaiah 40:3-4). We hear that in our Gospel today. John the Baptist quoting Isaiah tells us, “…a voice of one shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths’” (Mark 1:3).

Let’s talk about two important points that Isaiah makes. First, the Lord is coming. This is a critical distinction between the Christian faith and so many of the false religions of mythology. The Lord is coming. He pursues us! He is so eager that we all are united together with him.

The second point Isaiah makes is that we need to remove the obstacles from his path. One way for us to consider this passage is to ask ourselves what obstacles do we place in God’s way? Is it wealth, or comfort, or style, or ego?

This ties into our second reading from Second Peter. Peter says, “…make every effort to be found spotless and stainless, in peace; and think of Our Lord’s patience as salvation” (2 Peter 3:14). Not only does Peter tell us we need to focus on the obstacles or sin in our lives, but he says that the Lord’s patience is for our salvation. In other words, God is not trying to force himself on us. He pursues us, yes, but he gives us the room and the freedom to make choices in our lives. The time we have is an example of God patiently giving us time to make things right.

Time to do what? Well, in our own lives, we need to think about the sin in our lives carefully – but not the superficial stuff. We need to dig deep! We need to think about patterns or root causes of the sin in our lives. Why is it I have this or that bad habit or this overwhelming desire to hoard money or stuff? We should do some hard reflection, then bring it to confession. What happens near the end of the sacrament? We promise with God’s help to sin no more. In other words, we commit to breaking the pattern or habits of sin in our lives.

But there’s another important message in today’s readings. Isaiah also says, “Go up on to a high mountain, you who bring good news to Sion; lift up your voice with power, you who bring good news to Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:9).

We are not supposed to only reflect on our own lives. We are supposed to go out into the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Look at John the Baptist. Why did people go into the desert to be baptized by him? John the Baptist responded to a deep and real spiritual hunger. Our twofold challenge is to examine our lives and help other people. And I would suggest to you that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there.

Look at our world today, at least in the West. First, maybe people are too comfy, too cozy, too sheltered from the elements. We have every conceivable tool and toy and creature comfort anyone could ever want. And yet, something is missing! People yearn for more!

But there’s another example we must consider. We have a great need for healing in the United States after the presidential election. Sometimes we use words as if they are insignificant, and yet our words can inflict incredible pain. Like saying to someone on the left that they’re not Catholic because they voted for Biden. Or like calling someone on the right a bigot or a racist. The reality is that words have meaning, and the words thrown about during the election inflicted a significant amount of pain. Isn’t it funny that we who wait for the Word made flesh take for granted the words we use.

Now we Christians should know better, but too many of us fell into the trap. Why? I suggest to you because it is too easy to hurl a name than to figure out why they think the way they do. If we understand each other better, then perhaps we can address the problems that confront us. But when we’re operating with blinders on, well, nothing gets done.

This Advent season, I’m eager to read a book by the renowned sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. In 2018, she published Strangers in Their Own Land based on a five-year study of Tea Party conservatives in Louisiana. She chronicles some of the reasons why blue-collar white males, in particular, feel left out of the American dream. I think this is a critical study to help us see past the rhetoric to better understand people.

As Christians, we should lead the way to get to the root cause of the problem rather than whitewashing over our problems.

This Advent challenges you and me to go deeper into our motivations and try to understand others. Only by tackling the sin in our lives and institutional sin which affects others will we be able to make the path straight and be better prepared for the Lord!

Homework! Inspired by God’s grace in the Sacraments, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

First, considering the last couple of times I went to confession, is there a pattern to my sin? What might be the root causes of my sin?
Second, considering my behavior during the last presidential election – especially online – what can I do to help heal the wounds of division in my community? Another way of saying that is how can I spread Christmas joy this year even during the pandemic?

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Artist unknown. JPG file.

Notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are taken from The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

References:
1. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
2. Montague, George T., SM. First Corinthians. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. The Good News: 422
2. The prophets and the expectation of the Messiah: 522, 711-16, 22
3. John the Baptist: 523, 717-20
4. The second coming of Christ: 671-75, 2849
5. Baptism in water and the Spirit: 720
6. Call to holiness: 824-27, 2012-16
7. God’s desire for all to be saved: 1037, 2822
8. A new heaven and a new earth: 1042-50

Second Sunday of Advent https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120620.cfm
Lectionary: 5

Reading 1
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial
Psalm 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Reading 2
2 Peter 3:8-14
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,”
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.

Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.

Alleluia
Luke 3:4, 6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
All flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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A Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness

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Second Sunday of Advent Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10
Responsorial: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Second Reading: Romans 15:4-9
Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120819.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

“It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths,’” (Matthew 3:3).

Can you imagine it? It’s a calm day and you’re going about your business when something unusual breaks the quiet. A man with bushy hairy wearing an animal skin outfit and cinched about the waist with a strap of leather, and who eats locusts and honey, and who has a wild look in his eyes steps out onto the street and begins to yell. How would you react? What would you think about him? I’d liken him to one of those guys you might see every now and then wearing sandwich boards signs that read, “Repent! The end is near!” I tell you I’d think he was a bloody loon! And yet, people were drawn to John the Baptist – they were drawn to his message of repentance and forgiveness in preparation for the coming of the Lord.

Why? I believe it’s because sometimes we can’t see what’s directly in front of us. Sometimes we are so caught up in the mechanics of our lives or so numbed in our modern time by what we see on the news or in shows or movies that we are blind to the truth. Sometimes it takes a dramatic event, not unlike jumping into freezing cold water, to wake us up. John the Baptist was that “splash of cold water” that some of the people in Judea needed to start waking up from their slumber. It’s that whole idea of the blue pill or red pill from the Matrix.

Some people are content going about their lives without giving any real thought to their lives or their futures in this life or the next. As long as everything works out reasonably consistent with their plan, they are content to go about their everyday lives ignoring the hunger in their hearts – ignoring the nagging question, “is this all there is?” In comes John the Baptist saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2).

People – perhaps those with a burning hunger in their hearts that could not be satisfied with possessions, relationships, alcohol, pornography, food or sex. Those who understood that only God can fill the holes in their hearts were drawn to the Baptist. But they weren’t the only ones drawn to him. Scripture says that many of the Sadducees and Pharisees were coming to his baptism. Now, we don’t know their motivation. We do not know if they were really coming to be baptized by the son of the priest Zechariah, or if they were coming out of curiosity. Either way, John catches sight of them and begins rebuking them.

He calls out, “You brood of vipers!” (Matthew 3:7), and he tells them, “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance,” (Matthew 3:8), implying they were not coming to be baptized with right intention. He challenges them to provide evidence for their conversion by producing fruit. Now this is key. He is not telling them that they need to produce fruit to be reconciled or in order to be saved. There is nothing – nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven! Salvation is an unmerited gift freely given. But if they repent, if they believe if they really believe that God would save them, then their lives should be totally transformed.

The love of God should reverberate in their lives the way a stone breaks the surface of a still pond sending ripples out in every direction. And if it doesn’t? John warns that, “…every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire,” (Matthew 3:10). He goes on to say that, “…one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals…He will…gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire,” (Matthew 3:11-12).

Whoa!

The message of John the Baptist is not limited to a specific point of time. His words echo across time and space and meet each of us on our journeys right here, right now. Holy Mother Church presents this reading at this time of year as a sort of splash of cold water to get our attention. Advent is not only a time to slow down. Advent is also a time for a little introspection – call it an end of the year review or a status check if that makes it easier. The point is that we who are baptized should live lives consumed by the love of God, because as St. Paul tells us, “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me,” (Galatians 2:20). We should allow the love of God to transform how we behave amongst our families, friends and strangers, how we conduct ourselves in public and online, and how we manage our jobs and businesses. How do we do that? Well, that leads me to homework!

After having received the Word of God proclaimed and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions.

  1. First, ask yourself, what are the things that keep me distracted from hearing the voice crying out from the wilderness?
  2. Second, how is my baptismal call countercultural?

I think if we do these things, they will stimulate a little introspection to help us as we prepare not just to celebrate the memorial of Christmas, but to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ Jesus. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

References

  1. Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel Of Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2014.
  2. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.

Catechism Links:

  1. St. John the Baptist, 523 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a3p3.htm#523
  2. John’s baptism of repentance, 535 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a3p3.htm#535
  3. Christ’s baptism, 535 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p122a3p3.htm#535
  4. Baptism in Christ, 1227 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm#1227
  5. The effects of Baptism, 1262 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm#1262
  6. Baptism makes us adopted son of God, 1265 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1265.htm

Mass Readings

First Reading
Isaiah 11:1-10
On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
but he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day, the root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
the Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Second Reading
Romans 15:4-9
Brothers and sisters:
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction,
that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another,
in keeping with Christ Jesus,
that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
to show God’s truthfulness,
to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written:
Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name.

Alleluia Luke 3:4, 6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”