DAILY- HOMILY

December 8, 2013

2nd Sunday of Advent - A

Is 11:1-10 / Ps 72: 1-2. 7-8. 12-13. 17 / Rom 15:4-9 / Mt 3:1-12

Isaiah 11:1-10

From the stump of Jesse a shoot will come forth; from his roots a branch will grow and bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and power, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. Not by appearances will he judge, nor by what is said must he decide, but with justice he will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek. Like a rod, his word will strike the oppressor, and the breath of his lips slay the wicked. Justice will be the girdle of his waist, truth the girdle of his loins. The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them. Befriending each other, the cow and the bear will see their young ones lie down together. Like cattle, the lion will eat hay. By the cobra's den the infant will play. The child will put his hand into the viper's lair. No one will harm or destroy over my holy mountain, for as water fills the sea the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. On that day the "Root of Jesse" will be raised as a signal for the nations. The people will come in search of him, thus making his dwelling place glorious.

Romans 15:4-9

And we know that whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, for both perseverance and comfort given us by the Scripture sus tain our hope. May God, the source of all perseverance and comfort, give to all of you to live in peace in Christ Jesus, that you may be able to praise in one voice God, Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Welcome, then, one another, as Christ welcomed you for the glory of God. 8 Look: Christ put himself at the service of the Jewish world to fulfill the promises made by God to their ancestors; here you see God's faithfulness. 9 The pagans instead give thanks to God for his mercy, as Scripture says: Because of that, I will sing and praise your name among the pagans.

Matthew 3:1-12

In the course of time John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea and began to proclaim his message, "Change your ways, the kingdom of heaven is now at hand!" It was about him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice is shouting in the desert, 'Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight!' John had a leather garment around his waist and wore a cloak of camel's hair; his food was locusts and wild honey. People came to him from Jerusalem, from all Judea and from the whole Jordan valley, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan as they confessed their sins. When he saw several Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he baptized, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who told you that you could escape the punishment that is to come? Let it be seen that you are serious in your conversion, and do not think: We have Abraham for our father. I tell you that God can raise children for Abraham from these stones! The axe is already laid to the roots of the trees; any tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire. I baptize you in water for a change of heart, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than me; indeed I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you in Holy Spirit and fire. He has the winnowing fan in his hand and he will clear out his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn in everlasting fire."

Reflection

"Advent has a two-fold character. First, as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered, and second, as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation." (GNLYC 39)

The two readings and the gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent are about preparing and waiting for the Lord with "devout and joyful expectation."

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah speaks of the coming of the promised One, the long awaited Messiah and Savior: "From the stump of Jesse a shoot will come forth; from his roots a branch will grow and bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him - a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and power, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord."

The promised Messiah's coming will be a period of peace and justice: "by appearance will he judge, nor by what is said must he decide, but with justice he will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek." The world will be at peace; even the animal kingdom will be at peace and harmony: "The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them. Befriending each other, the cow and the bear will see their young ones lie down together. Like cattle, the lion will eat hay. By the cobra's den the infant will play. The child will put his hand into the viper's lair."

In the second reading from the Letter to the Romans, Paul reminds them how Christ's coming has fulfilled the prophets and brought peace and God's mercy to the world, as he has promised through the ages and his prophets and messengers.

Prayer Requests

We pray …

… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.

… for the speedy recovery and healing of

-               Joy Droke

-               Lorenzo Meoli

-               Eric

… for the personal intentions of Lina Magcamit

… Birthday: Maria Concepcion Billanes

… In Memoriam: Gloria C. Orbin

… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.

Birthday: Acero Ambrosio

Birthday: Christian Aladdin Ynion Dubria

Wedding Anniversary: Charlene & Manolette Carlos

Thanksgiving: Mamer & Virgie Domingo & Children

Thanksgiving: Elmer & Solie Suba & Children

Thanksgiving: Anna Pashmina

Thanksgiving: Napoleon Jr. & Helma Sy

Prayer Intention: Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary -1996

In Memoriam (+): Chua Chen

… 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!

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