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Advent - Second Sunday |
The Second Sunday in Advent
Taken from "The Christmas Spirit" by: Rev. Edward Sutfin and from "The
Year Made Holy" by: Msgr. Premm
The Redeemer Shall Come! Prepare ye for His coming!
The Theme of this Sunday and of the entire week, is the Preparation of the Spouse (the
Church) Jerusalem, for the coming of the Bridegroom, the Savior, at Christmas and
Epiphany. In Rome, there is celebrated today a special service in the Church of the Holy
Cross in Jerusalem. So, in the readings of today's Mass, we repeatedly meet with the word
"Jerusalem" or "Sion". We may understand these to refer to our souls
and to the Church. To these the Savior will come; in these He will shine out with a great
brightness in the season of Christmas and later at the last judgment.
Jerusalem was the city of the Jews, where Our Lord Himself began His divine mission of salvation. The Jerusalem of Christianity, THE CHURCH, has taken the place of this ancient city. Today the Savior is to come into the Church, into the New Jerusalem of Christianity. Upon the rock of the Catholic Church is built the heavenly Jerusalem which shall be the everlasting home of the blessed. However, the Savior wished also to come into a fourth Jerusalem, that of our souls, and it is especially important that we renew our efforts to "decorate" our souls and adorn them spiritually for the coming of the Redeemer at Christmas and at Epiphany.
As we clean our homes to carefully to prepare for Christmas, these can be used to illustrate to children the need for interior preparation of their souls for the coming of the Christ Child. In the spirit of Advent, the children should be preparing their own gifts for Baby Jesus. They will give their gifts to Him on Christmas Day when visiting the beautiful Christmas Crib at Church, and then bring their gifts to Him truly, in the reality of His sacrificial banquet, the Holy Mass. The most important Advent preparation is daily Mass if possible, as well as daily visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Other gifts concern love of neighbor, which today's Epistle stresses; as well as all the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. All of our daily Advent prayers and devotions and penance’s make up our part of the Offertory Gift at the Christmas Mass.
This Second Sunday of Advent reminds us again that we must make preparations to receive God's gifts. Without spiritual preparation, are souls are not disposed or able to receive the special graces Baby Jesus has in store for us. Therefore, in the COLLECT of today's Mass we pray, " Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Thine only-begotten Son; that through His coming, we may be worthy to serve Thee with purified minds." This is also the prayer to be said tonight and during this week as we light the second candle on our Advent wreaths.
In today's Gospel, we meet John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus, whom Jesus Himself describes as the prophet and the preparer of His way. John the Baptist is "he of whom it is written, Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee." John, at the Jordan River, told his people of the coming of the Redeemer. He says to them and to us, "Do penance, make straight His paths." All the ruts in our way of life must be filled in, all obstacles to God's grace must be removed so that there may be a smooth path for the coming Redeemer. The idea of penance is an essential aspect of Advent; repentance for our sins and a firm resolve to avoid all sin in the future. Like John, let us not be "as a reed," blown helplessly back and forth by the breath of public opinion and by every gust of passion or temptation. Like him, let us not "clothe ourselves in soft garments," always seeking what is comfortable and enjoying what is pleasant.
There is no need to wait for the feast of Christmas: let us here and now, at the gracious coming of the Redeemer at the Consecration of today's Mass, prepare ourselves in this spirit of repentance. Let us picture ourselves as the blind, the lame, the lepers, the deaf, who are referred to at the beginning of today's Gospel. For in truth, how blind we are in what concerns our salvation! How lame, in that we advance so painfully and slowly in holiness! How leprous, that is to say, unclean, in our thoughts and in the motives of our actions! How deaf to God's teachings even when it is put right in front of us.
Let us therefore, right now, implore the Redeemer to guard us from all these miseries, and cure us of our weaknesses and sins. Let us recite from our hearts the Offertory Hymn; "Turn, O God, and bring us to new life, and Thy people shall rejoice in Thee: show us, O Lord, Thy mercy, and grant us Thy salvation."
And truly the gentle Savior, the friend of humble sinners, comes to us now in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, into our very hearts. "Arise, O Jerusalem (Christian soul), and stand on high: and behold the joy that cometh to thee from thy God":(Communion Hymn). And as Jesus unites Himself with us today in Holy Communion, so will He come too, at the hour of our death, as Judge it is true, but also to take us into the joy of heaven. Then shall we realize in the fullest measure the words: "Behold the joy that comes to you from your God."
Family Prayer
Psalm 79 is the family prayer each night this week. Children are especially drawn to the
Psalms when they learn that these were the very prayers memorized and said by Jesus when
He was a child.
Psalm 79
O Shepherd of Israel, hearken,
O guide of the flock of Joseph!
Rouse your power, and come to save us.
O Lord of hosts, restore us, if your face shine upon us,
then we shall be safe.
O Lord of hosts, how long will you burn with anger while your people pray?
You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in ample measure.
You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.
O Lord of hosts, restore us,
If your face shine upon us, then we shall be safe.
