Tag: Year B

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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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First 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 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7
Responsorial: Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112920.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

It’s hard to believe that Advent begins today! Perhaps the pandemic and the extraordinary death toll in parts of the US like El Paso, Texas have affected how I read today’s scripture. To me, these readings and the gospel in particular get to the heart of the big questions in life. “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose?”

Jesus tell us to “Be watchful! Be alert!” in today’s gospel (Mark 13:33). We just never know. So, in light of this very different year, how can I make the most of Advent?

The good news is that God gave us resources to help answer these questions! St. Paul tells us in our second reading today that as disciples, we have already received God’s grace in Christ Jesus! We are blessed with all sorts of gifts, but sometimes we aren’t aware of what we have or how to use it.

One of the great blessings of Advent is to remind us that we need to set time aside to slow down and take stock of our lives. It’s sort of like a year-end review that businesses undergo, except the Church asks all of us to do it in our individual lives.

One of our key understandings about creation that the Church teaches us is that we need to encourage human flourishing. Another way to put this is how to become the best version of yourself. To me, our first reading speaks to human flourishing. Isaiah reminds us that we are the clay and God is the potter (64:7).

So, here are some questions we might consider. Have I allowed God to mold me? As a disciple, have I surrendered my life to God’s will? This is of course an extremely personal process. And as a parent or grandparent or aunt or uncle or friend, how can I model this process for other people?

Now the good news is that it’s never too late! But what does that mean and how can I get started? Now you might say, “But deacon, I’m over seventy and comfortably retired. What can I do?” Or you’re a fulltime accountant and you don’t see the need to invest in spiritual growth or spiritual development.

These are all excellent observations! While sometimes what God might ask of us fully aligns with an income-producing job, sometimes it doesn’t always. Take being a deacon for example. In general, the vast majority of deacons around the world are not paid employees of the Church. Some deacons might be reimbursed for some of their expenses. Some dioceses might organize continuing education events or retreats to reduce the costs to the deacons. But in general, almost everything the deacon pursues for their spiritual and pastoral education is on them. Deacons do not charge for their services, so the fruit of their ministry is a real gift to community.

So, if deacons can do it, then we can all be open to pursue the paths God has for us even if there is no compensation tied to it. As for retirees, well, you never know what situations might present itself to you with your family and friends or in your volunteer work. Perhaps taking even an online bible study or book club or a class might help you feel more confident about having that conversation you were afraid to have.

For example, I have taken classes through and I also facilitate classes for the Virtual Learning Center for Faith Formation or VLCFF through the University of Dayton. I’ll leave a link in the notes to this podcast. <1> They offer a ton of classes ranging from 3 – 6 weeks. There’s no degree requirement and no commitment. While the classes have an online facilitator like me, there are no online classes, so you don’t have to worry about being available for a zoom call at a specific time. You do you a specific agenda to follow each week, and you may interact with your facilitator and your classmates all you want, but you manage your own time. So, there are adults literally from all over the world who take these classes.

There are also a myriad of other excellent programs out there from authentically Catholic sources. Your pastor might have some suggestions for you too.

How can you tell if a site is authentically Catholic? Ah! Another excellent question! What is the one thing that separates Catholics from other Christians? The Catholic Church is an apostolic church. We believe that our bishop is the successor to the Apostles themselves! And we believe that all the bishops working together form the Magisterium or the teaching authority of the Church. And we believe that the bishop of Rome is first among all the bishops of the world. Most of us know the bishop of Rome as the Pope.

So, if whatever site you’re researching ever uses language like rejecting Pope Francis, then that theologian or that site is not a Catholic site. It doesn’t matter how many times they say they are Catholic or how much Latin is dressed on their website. To reject the Pope means automatic excommunication. Or if the theologian or website uses language like rejecting Vatican Two, then it not authentically Catholic. To say you reject Vatican Two in its entirety is to say you reject the magisterial teaching of the Church, and that means automatic excommunication!

If you’re not sure about a site and you’re not sure who to ask, ask me! I’m happy to help!

So, this Advent, let’s set some time aside to determine if we live like clay allowing ourselves to be molded by the potter. Are we living God’s plan for our lives? If not, what can I do about it?

Homework! I have asked a whole lot of questions today, so you’re homework is to spend a little time this week reviewing all the questions I’ve asked. You can find them in the notes to this podcast or on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org.

I think doing our homework will help us get on track with God’s plan for our lives. 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.
<1> Virtual Learning Center for Faith Formation: https://vlcff.udayton.edu/.

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. God gives humanity grace to accept Revelation, welcome the Messiah: 35
2. “Come, Lord Jesus!”: 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817
3. Christ’s coming in glory: 668-82, 769
4. Church as communion: 787-96, 959
5. Acknowledging that we are sinners: 827, 1431, 2677, 2839
6. Keeping watch: 2612, 2849
7. Prayer of thanksgiving: 2637-38

First Sunday of Advent https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112920.cfm
Lectionary: 2

Reading 1
Isaiah 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7
You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Responsorial
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Reading II
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alleluia
Psalm 85:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 13:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

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ATC 9 The Annunciation and the Liturgy

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Pope Paul VI said, “Liturgy is like a strong tree whose beauty is derived from the continuous renewal of its leaves, but whose strength comes from the old trunk, with solid roots in the ground.”

Welcome to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and I’m so glad you’re here! Together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. Today we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord. In other words, today is nine months until Christmas! In the light of these extraordinary times, we look forward to Christmas with great hope.

Why should we care about the annunciation? Or for that matter, why should we care about Lent? Why is the Church calendar arranged this way? What are all these liturgical seasons about?

We all belong to different groups – like our nations. As a people, we name and we remember certain days. For example, in the United States, some of the days we celebrate include the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day. Dates like these are wildly important to shaping life of our communities. They also help shape our collective national identity. But this practice of naming and remembering days is much older than the United States – indeed much older than all of our countries.

This idea of naming and remembering has its roots in our shared Judeo-Christian heritage. The Ten Commandments call on us to remember and keep the Sabbath, for example. What would the Christian calendar be with Christmas or Easter? This practice of naming and remember affect each of us personally, and yet enable us to share together as a community. <1>

The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, organizes the way we worship God the Father and Jesus Christ throughout the course of the year. The Church also gives us opportunities to consider the lives of people who serve as powerful examples to all of us in living a life rooted in Christ Jesus. For example, today is the Annunciation. Today, we focus on Scripture readings that help us celebrate a courageous young woman named Mary who, apparently without fear or hesitation, told the archangel Gabriel yes, she would set aside her dreams and follow God’s plan for her life.

During the days of the week, the Church might ask us to remember a particular saint – someone who was not perfect, but who demonstrated heroic virtue like martyrdom or courage. We remember them because their lives offer us concrete examples about how each of us might live our lives for Jesus Christ.

But here’s the catch: none of them matter – Mary doesn’t matter and the saints don’t matter – on their own. They are only important to us in the light of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, these people are just ordinary people whose lives we would have no reason to remember. It is because of the way they lived their lives for Jesus that matters. So when we remember these people, we remember them in the context of our faith in Jesus Christ.

So, the Church arranges the calendar in a way that we contemplate Jesus Christ. We begin the year with Advent – those weeks leading up to Christmas which serve as a challenge to reflect on our priorities and to refocus our lives on Jesus Christ. Then, we celebrate Christmas and the season Christmastime. We rejoice by remembering that the Savior has come!

The next major season is Lent, the season we currently observe. This is another opportunity to clean our respective houses and prepare ourselves for Triduum. Triduum refers to what we refer to as Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, to the Great Vigil of Easter. On one level, the Triduum is one solemn commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection. On another level, it is the culmination – the high point of the entire liturgical year.

Next comes Eastertime – fifty days of celebrating and rejoicing about the resurrection. Historically speaking, even before Lent took shape, we’ve celebrated the resurrection until Pentecost. In fact, every Sunday for Catholics is a mini-Easter when we celebrate the resurrection. Why? Because this is what it’s all about – from the incarnation to the resurrection, Jesus is the promised salvation of God.

Now for 32 weeks of the year, from Pentecost to Advent and a few weeks between Christmastime and Lent, we celebrate ordinary time. “Ordinary” in this case doesn’t mean commonplace. In this case, “ordinal” or “counted.” <2> You see, the Church includes as much Scripture as possible and to do that, it divides Scripture by weeks. Since the Gospel accounts each have a particular theme, and since we pull from John’s account during Lent, the Church dedicates time for us to consider the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

We spend the Sundays in one year focusing on Matthew which we call Year A; then Mark in Year B, and Luke in Year C. During the week, there’s a two-year cycle of readings, some repeats from the Sundays, and some not. I know this is a digression, but if you include the cycle of Scripture prayed during the Liturgy of the Hours or the Daily Office, then altogether the Church will have read nearly 80% of the entire Bible over the course of three years. Just like in everyday life, what gets planned gets done. The Church doesn’t leave contemplating Scripture to chance.

I just mentioned the Liturgy of the Hours. What’s the Liturgy of the Hours? We’ll take that up in another episode, but here’s the reader’s digest version. It’s a sequence of psalms and other Scripture passages prayed over the course of the day. You see, Christians have from the beginning continued the Jewish tradition of praying seven times a day. Today, consecrated religious orders and priests continue this tradition, while deacons pray only part of the hours. The laity are not required to keep any of the hours, but they can voluntarily do so.

Okay, I digress, but the point is that the life of the Church over the course of the year is organized in way that helps us contemplate God’s saving action through Jesus Christ from the incarnation to the ascension. That’s why, on a day like today, we take time to recall when the archangel Gabriel visited Mary. Reflecting on the annunciation helps us look with hope to Christmas, and right now, we could use all the hope we can get!

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

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. You’re listening to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again next time and don’t forget to check out the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!

Notes:
<1> Huck, Gabe and Gerald T. Chinchar, Liturgy with Style and Grace, Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1998, 92.
<2> Ibid, 105.

References:
1. Huck, Gabe and Gerald T. Chinchar. Liturgy with Style and Grace. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1998.
2. Metzger, Marcel. History of the Liturgy: The Major Stages. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1997.