Reading 1
Is 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.
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17.
Responsorial PsalmR. (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.
Reading 2
Rom 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.
Gospel
Mt 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.”
Meditation: Matthew 3:1-12
“Repent!” (Matthew 3:2)
John the Baptist was Israel’s biggest hit since Elijah, the prophet who called down fire from heaven nine centuries earlier. What drew crowds to this finger-pointing hermit dressed in animal skins? Believe it or not, it was his call for repentance.
When John told his listeners to turn away from sin, he also offered them promises of restoration. God wanted to do more than just pardon their offenses. He wanted to open the floodgates of heaven and shower them with his love, bringing them into a new level of healing, reconciliation, and peace.
Advent is meant to be a time when we too can hear John’s words and prepare our own hearts for Jesus. Each and every day, Jesus invites us to draw near to him so that we can develop an intimate friendship with him and share even more deeply in his holiness. What can hinder this intimacy? Sin, fear, indifference to God, lack of compassion for others—these are some of the bigger obstacles. And this is why John’s call to repentance is so important.
God wants to free us from everything that holds us back from surrendering to his love and his will. And he wants to do it through the gift of repentance. He wants to lead us out of guilt, alienation, and shame into joy and freedom. He is always standing ready to wash us clean and anoint us with his Spirit. He is always ready to refresh us with his mercy and power and to make us pure and spotless, ready to see Jesus when he comes again in glory. Every time we turn to him and repent, he comes to lift us up to heaven and give us another glimpse of his kingdom—a vision that fills us with hope and joy.
This Advent, take some time to examine your life in the light of God’s truth and love. Then celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation freely, embracing all the grace and power God has for you.
“Father, your mercy is without end. I praise you for sending your Son to redeem me and set me free.”
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Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-2,7-8, 12-13,17; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12)
1. Justice is one of the hallmarks of the “peaceable kingdom” so vividly described for us in the first reading. The catechism says that “Justice is moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor.” What is the principal hallmark of your relationship with God? With your family? With your neighbors? How can you make justice a greater part of these relationships?
2. In the first reading, the seven gifts of the Spirit are also mentioned. Jesus, as the perfect man, received the fullness of the Spirit and these spiritual gifts. Do you believe that these gifts are intended for you as well? Why or why not? What steps can you take to open yourself more fully to these gifts? At the end of your meeting, pray for one another for a deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit and a greater manifestation of these gifts in each of your lives. Continue to pray this prayer during Advent, and share its impact on your life at your meetings.
3. We are told in the responsorial psalm that the Lord has pity for and rescues the poor, the afflicted, and the lowly. As a disciple of Christ, what steps can you take this advent to mirror his actions towards the poor, the afflicted, and the lowly?
4. St. Paul tells the Romans of the value of the Scriptures in our lives. How well do you appreciate the Bible? Do you turn to the Scriptures for “encouragement” and “hope” as Paul suggests? What steps can you take during Advent to increase the time you spend reading Scripture, the written Word of God?
5. St. Paul also tells us the importance of unity and harmony among us. How can you be a greater source of unity and harmony during Advent in your family or with others?
6. In the Gospel, John the Baptist tells us to “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” What do you think this means? What is the fruit the Lord is asking you to bear in your life?
7. In the meditation, we hear these words: “God wants to free us from everything that holds us back from surrendering to his love and his will. And he wants to do it through the gift of repentance. He wants to lead us out of guilt, alienation, and shame into joy and freedom. He is always standing ready to wash us clean and anoint us with his Spirit.” What steps can you take to better hear God’s call to repentance during Advent? Do you plan to include celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation and “embracing all the grace and power God has for you”? Why or why not?
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