Reading 1 Is 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 Ps 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 2 1 Cor 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.
Gospel Mk 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!'"
Meditation: Mark 13:33-37
Be watchful! Be alert!” (Mark 13:33)
Announcement: The Most High God requests the honor of your presence at the entry of his Son into the world. The unprecedented event will be followed by a joyous celebration in two locations: heaven and earth. The event will take place on December 25, and you are encouraged to spend the next four weeks in preparation for the festivities.
Welcome to Advent—a season of hope and expectation! Over the course of the next month, many of us will be part of family gatherings. We will reenact time-honored traditions. Gifts will be bought. Homes will be decorated. Special meals will be prepared.
And to crown all these observances, Jesus himself will come and visit us. As today’s Gospel reading tells us, we may not know when he will come, but he promises he will come. Right now, he is looking for new ways to touch our hearts. Right now, he is preparing special gifts of grace and blessing for us—Advent and Christmas presents that he will give to those who open their hearts to him.
What kind of gifts will he give? Reminders of his Father’s love for us. A sense of hope as you face the challenges of life. New insights and wisdom that you can share with your loved ones. Freedom from guilt as you lay your sins and failings at his feet. And above all, peace and joy as he tells you that he has you in the palm of his hand.
So take up the invitation today! Do everything you can to be alert and ready to receive Jesus and his gifts. Try to spend a little more time in daily prayer and Scripture reading. Go to confession so that you can get rid of anything that blocks you from receiving his love and his gifts.
Jesus wants to celebrate with you. And he’s given you a whole month to get ready. Step by step, day by day, you can draw closer to the Lord— and feel him draw closer to you!
“Jesus, I accept your invitation. By your Spirit and your grace, help me to get ready for your coming on Christmas Day.”
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Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Isaiah 63:16-17,19; 64:2-7; Psalm 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37)
1. In the first reading, we hear these words: “All of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are like polluted rags” (Isaiah 64:5). Why do you think the people’s so-called “good deeds” were so offensive to God? In what ways can our own good deeds be offensive to God? What is the difference between good deeds and Godly deeds?
2. In the responsorial psalm, we cry out to the Lord along with the psalmist to come and save us, so that he will “give us new life and we will call upon his name.” What areas of your life do you need to cry out to the Lord for “new life”? Do you believe as you cry out, he will answer you? Why or why not?
3. In the second reading, St. Paul states that the Corinthians have been “enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge” (1 Corinthians 1:5) and that they “are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1:7). Yet, later on in this letter, Paul is quite critical of their immaturity, tolerance of open sin, and their own sinfulness. Why do you think that in spite of the great outpouring of the Spirit upon the Corinthians, they had so much difficulty living holy and righteous lives? In what way is this also a warning to us as well?
4. In the Gospel reading, Jesus uses such words as “beware,” “keep alert,” “watch,” “stay awake,” and “be on guard” as he describes the events leading up to his second coming. What message was Jesus trying to convey with these words? How do they apply to each of us today during this Advent season? How do they apply to the Church?
5. The meditation ends with these words: “Jesus wants to celebrate with you. And he’s given you a whole month to get ready. Step by step, day by day, you can draw closer to the Lord— and feel him draw closer to you!” During Advent, we celebrate the coming of Jesus in three ways: 1) His first coming as a baby at Christmas, 2) His coming into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, and 3) His Second Coming at the end of time. What steps can you take in the next four weeks of Advent to prepare yourself to celebrate these three comings in a deeper way?
6. Take some time now to pray for the grace, during this Advent Season, to prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of Jesus’ coming. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.
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