Saturday, December 01, 2012
1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT - C
DECEMBER 2, 2012
1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT - C
Jer 33:14-16 / 1 Thes 3:12-4:2 / Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
JEREMIAH 33:14-16
The days are coming when I shall fulfill the promise that I made in favor of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout the shoot of righteousness from David's line; he will practice justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will experience salvation and Jerusalem will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-Our-Righteousness."
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2
May the Lord increase more and more your love for each other and for all people, as he increases our love for you. May he strengthen you internally to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all his saints. For the rest, brothers, we ask you in the name of Jesus, the Lord, and we urge you to live in a way that pleases God, just as you have learned from us. This you do, but try to do still more. You know the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus:
LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, perplexed when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. Then, at that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So, when you see things begin to happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near." Be on your guard: don't immerse yourselves in a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you unaware, as a trap. For, like a snare, will that day come upon all the inhabitants of the earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."
REFLECTION
The season of Advent is every year a season of hearing that call to renewal in expectation of the ever-new coming of Christ, our Messiah. This call to renewal can be traced back centuries ago when as today's first reading records the Prophet Jeremiah wrote: "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he will do what is right and just in the land." What a wonderful "new year's resolution," the promise of the Lord himself for all time!
To really "hear" the call that the Lord's promise proposes is to hear the challenge with the ear of our hearts. In other words, the call to renewal is a call to be received in hearts as a call to love. That is why St. Paul's prayer in his letter to the Thessalonians is chosen for the second reading of today's Eucharistic celebration. What St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians and all of us is the very fundamental truth that love is the foundation of everything. To be prepared for the ever-new coming of the Christ is to be committed to grow in that love which Jesus himself recognized as the sign of discipleship: "By this will all know that you are my disciples by your love for one another!" [John 13:35]
Perhaps a reading of today's Gospel passage might seem to be a bit frightening – what is called the "second coming" of the Christ at the end of time. And it is true that the Advent season does remind us of both the second coming (the word "advent" connotes "coming") and the first coming of the Christ at Christmas. But even as today's Gospel reading does "warn" us to be prepared for the time when the Lord will come again in glory it also urges that we be constantly alert, not only concerned about an unknown future day but vigorously concerned about living today, here and now.
Even as this Sunday is the beginning of a new liturgical year it can be helpful to recall that the previous liturgical year ended with the celebration of Pentecost, the great gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that gift which assures us that the God who loves us is with us always, even to the end of time. And as we may be reminded that we do have to be constantly alert for the day when we will be called to finally surrender our very lives, we are also reminded that the Lord whose coming we await is the Lord who has promised us that in the Father's home there are many "rooms" and that he prepares a place for us so that where he is we also may be.
With all that in mind, we do joyfully celebrate two preparations that Advent can mean for us. Advent calls us to prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord at Christmas to share our daily lives so intimately. Advent also calls us to be prepared for that coming of the Lord at the end of time and at the last day for each one of us when what Advent begins will be completed.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of Ma. Theresa O. Bernardo
… for the personal intentions of
- Pat Marquez
- Pauline
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Isis T. So
- Birthday: Didi C. Ventura
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
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© 2012 Daily-Homily
1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT - C
Jer 33:14-16 / 1 Thes 3:12-4:2 / Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
JEREMIAH 33:14-16
The days are coming when I shall fulfill the promise that I made in favor of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout the shoot of righteousness from David's line; he will practice justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will experience salvation and Jerusalem will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-Our-Righteousness."
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2
May the Lord increase more and more your love for each other and for all people, as he increases our love for you. May he strengthen you internally to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all his saints. For the rest, brothers, we ask you in the name of Jesus, the Lord, and we urge you to live in a way that pleases God, just as you have learned from us. This you do, but try to do still more. You know the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus:
LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, perplexed when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. Then, at that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. So, when you see things begin to happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near." Be on your guard: don't immerse yourselves in a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you unaware, as a trap. For, like a snare, will that day come upon all the inhabitants of the earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."
REFLECTION
The season of Advent is every year a season of hearing that call to renewal in expectation of the ever-new coming of Christ, our Messiah. This call to renewal can be traced back centuries ago when as today's first reading records the Prophet Jeremiah wrote: "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he will do what is right and just in the land." What a wonderful "new year's resolution," the promise of the Lord himself for all time!
To really "hear" the call that the Lord's promise proposes is to hear the challenge with the ear of our hearts. In other words, the call to renewal is a call to be received in hearts as a call to love. That is why St. Paul's prayer in his letter to the Thessalonians is chosen for the second reading of today's Eucharistic celebration. What St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians and all of us is the very fundamental truth that love is the foundation of everything. To be prepared for the ever-new coming of the Christ is to be committed to grow in that love which Jesus himself recognized as the sign of discipleship: "By this will all know that you are my disciples by your love for one another!" [John 13:35]
Perhaps a reading of today's Gospel passage might seem to be a bit frightening – what is called the "second coming" of the Christ at the end of time. And it is true that the Advent season does remind us of both the second coming (the word "advent" connotes "coming") and the first coming of the Christ at Christmas. But even as today's Gospel reading does "warn" us to be prepared for the time when the Lord will come again in glory it also urges that we be constantly alert, not only concerned about an unknown future day but vigorously concerned about living today, here and now.
Even as this Sunday is the beginning of a new liturgical year it can be helpful to recall that the previous liturgical year ended with the celebration of Pentecost, the great gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that gift which assures us that the God who loves us is with us always, even to the end of time. And as we may be reminded that we do have to be constantly alert for the day when we will be called to finally surrender our very lives, we are also reminded that the Lord whose coming we await is the Lord who has promised us that in the Father's home there are many "rooms" and that he prepares a place for us so that where he is we also may be.
With all that in mind, we do joyfully celebrate two preparations that Advent can mean for us. Advent calls us to prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord at Christmas to share our daily lives so intimately. Advent also calls us to be prepared for that coming of the Lord at the end of time and at the last day for each one of us when what Advent begins will be completed.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of Ma. Theresa O. Bernardo
… for the personal intentions of
- Pat Marquez
- Pauline
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Isis T. So
- Birthday: Didi C. Ventura
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2012 Daily-Homily
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 3:08 AM 
