2nd Sunday of Advent (Cycle A, Year I)
Community Word:
The coming of Christ brings joy to the people of God.
Theme:
We rejoice in the coming of Christ when we produce good fruit through repentance.
Promise:
“Justice shall flower in his days.” (Ps 72:7)
Reflection:
Advent is the opportune time to assess whether Jesus has indeed an impact in our lives. The second Sunday of Advent continues to direct us in our preparation for the coming of the Lord. It is an occasion when we need to focus on purifying ourselves rather than on the cheers at Christmas time.
The greatest of the prophets prepared God’s chosen people for the Coming One. John the Baptist is a familiar figure of Advent. In contrast with the mood of the warm cheers of Christmas, he appears in the desert, dressed in camel’s hair with his long hair, rough coat and open sandals, calling us to repent because the Lord is near. John the Baptist is heralding the coming of the King and demanding that roads be made straight, that is, to straighten our crooked ways and purify our hearts. He fearlessly denounced all forms of evil. In clear and simple words, he came to announce to the people that God’s kingdom was at their doorstep and if they wanted to enter it, their present way of life had to change. John challenged them to reform their lives, to repent of their sins and undergo a baptism of purification in the Jordan.
The call of John to repentance is an urgent invitation for us to prepare a way for the Lord to come into our hearts. And when we come right down to it that is what advent is all about. Preparing to celebrate Christmas means renewing our lives, by acknowledging our need for Christ who is constantly calling us to higher things. John warns us that the greatest obstacle to the coming of Christ into our souls is sin. We have the freedom to accept or ignore his advice. Our faith reminds us that we have the responsibility to make present the values of Christ wherever we go. This is not possible unless we are making a constant effort to root out the sin that keeps recurring in our lives.
Each Advent is an opportunity for us to come closer to Christ and deepen our relationship with him through prayer and repentance. His power is at work in our lives when we make peace with the family member we have rejected, the relations we don’t speak to, the neighbors we have fallen out with, the poor we have no time for and whose plight we don’t want to know about, giving love this season as we may say. Breaking down these barriers will open the way for Christ to come to us and be born in our hearts at Christmas.
This second week’s theme calls for a sincere repentance –We rejoice in the coming of Christ when we produce good fruit through repentance. When we are honest with ourselves, acknowledging who we truly are, we gain self-knowledge in the light of Christ, and see our own follies and feel an inner movement of the Holy Spirit, convicting us of our sins. It is then that we can repent sincerely, from the heart. Until our repentance comes to this level, we cannot live holy lives. Our ways will remain crooked and we remain vulnerable to sin.
Again, as we adhere to the discipline of our prayer life, the grace of God moves in us and allows us to repent and grow deeper in our faith, as He softens and molds our hearts to become more like Him. Be on WATCH! In your Word, Actions, Thoughts, Character and Heart this season. More peace, more love and joy.
Prayer:
Father God, as we prepare the way for your coming in our midst make us open to your Spirit as we are converted wholeheartedly, that you may live among us for you are our Lord now and forever. Amen
Reflection Questions:
1. In what ways do you prepare for this advent season spiritually?
2. How would you bring Jesus in your household?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
December 4, 2016 (Sun) – Is 11:1-10/Ps 72:1, 2, 7, 8,12,13,17/Rom 15:4-9/Mt 3:1-12
December 5, 2016 (Mon) – Is 35:1-10/Ps 85|:9-14/Lk 5:17-26
December 6, 2016 (Tue) – Is 40:1-11/Ps 96:1-3,10-13/Mt18:12-14
December 7, 2016 (Wed) – Is 40:25-31/Ps 103:1-3,8,10/Mt11:28-30
December 8 2016 (Thu) – Gn 3:9-15,20/Ps 981-4/Eph 1:3-6,11,12/Lk 1:26-33
December 9, 2016 (Fri) – Is 48:174-19/Ps 1:1-4,6/Mt 11:16-19
December 10, 2016 (Sat)- Sir 48:1-4,9-11/Ps 80:2,3,15-16,18-19/Mt 17:9-13
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
wscr eflection 4 december 2016
