Vol. 38 No. 1          November   28,  2010  1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Cycle  A) The Son of Man is coming…you must be ready ENTRANCE ANTIPHON To you, my God, I lift up my soul, I trust in you; let me never come to shame. Do not let my enemies laugh at me. No one who waits for you is ever put to shame. (Ps 25:1-3) PENITENTIAL RITE Today is the First Sunday of Advent, when we begin a new Liturgical Year. Advent is the Church’s way to help us prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Saviour. The readings for today, and the following three Sundays, are chosen to help us prepare for the event of Christ’s birth. During this holy season of Advent, we are exhorted by the Church to prepare ourselves to commemorate worthily the first coming of Christ and to stay awake and look forward to his second coming. Today’s liturgy is a wake-up call for us, as it conveys a sense of urgency. As we gather in this house of God, let us reflect on how prepared we are to receive Christ who comes in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Are we ready to cast off ‘the works of darkness’ in which we indulge quite often? With a contrite heart let us seek mercy and pardon from the Lord. (Pause) I confess... OPENING PRAYER All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. FIRST READING (This prophecy of Isaiah, made 700 years before the coming of Christ, contains one of the encouraging exhortations which God’s great prophet addressed to his fellow-Jews, to help them persevere in their faith in God, in dark times of distress and tribulation.) A reading from the Book of Isaiah   (2:1-5) The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come let us walk in the light of the Lord. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM   (24) Response: I rejoiced when I heard them say: “Let us go to God’s house.” I rejoiced when I heard them say: “Let us go to God’s house.” And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. R./   Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. R./   For love of my brethren and friends I say: “Peace upon you!” For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. R./ SECOND READING   (St Paul urges the Roman Christians to keep the purpose of their acceptance of the Gospel always before their eyes and give up all their former evil habits. He also exhorts them to avoid the vices, so prevalent then in the pagan world.) A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Romans  (13:11-14) Brethren: You know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION   (Ps 84:8) Alleluia, alleluia! Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help. Alleluia! (Ps 84:8) GOSPEL   (In this Gospel passage Jesus speaks about his second coming as the judge of the world, and emphasizes its unexpectedness and suddenness. The only way to be prepared for the moment of judgment is to be always prepared.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew   (24:37-44) Jesus said to his disciples: “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” This is the Gospel of the Lord   I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the Holy Catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Beloved in Christ, God our loving Father teaches us His ways and helps us walk in His light. God is the hope and joy of people in every age. With confidence in God’s mercy let us pray for our various needs, saying: Response: Lord, in your love hear us. 1. For the Pope, the bishops and the clergy: that their faith may be strengthened and they may overcome their weaknesses. Help them by your grace to become instruments of the mercy and justice of God. R./ 2. For the leaders of all nations: that in their administration, they may ensure that the poor and vulnerable members of society are not left out. R./    3. For those who are working in peace-keeping missions and for the relief of others’ sufferings: that they themselves may experience God’s peace and comfort. R./ 4. For prisoners: that they may be enlightened by God’s grace, be reformed, and not lose hope in God. R./ 5. For our Christian community: that God may strengthen our faith in the midst of uncertainty and doubt, and free us from the darkness of evil. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Almighty God, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds, and enable us to live as children of light, and enjoy the peace and unity of your kingdom. Clear a pathway in our hearts to welcome Christ in this season of Advent. We ask this ... PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Father, from all you give us we present this bread and wine. As we serve you now, accept our offering and sustain us with your promise of eternal life. Grant this through Christ our Lord. PREFACE  (P 1)   Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. When he humbled himself to come among us as a man, he fulfilled the plan you formed long ago and opened for us the way to salvation. Now we watch for the day, hoping that the salvation promised us will be ours when Christ our Lord will come again in his glory. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise: All: Holy, holy, holy… COMMUNION ANTIPHON The Lord will shower his gifts, and our land will yield its fruit. (Ps 84:13) PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Father, may our communion teach us to love heaven. May its promise and hope guide our way on earth. We ask this...       LITURGY  AND  LIFE On this first Sunday of Advent, which is the beginning of a new Liturgical Year, we are given a fresh chance to prepare for the coming of Christ. The season of Advent offers a spiritual wake-up call to us. Unless we are spiritually awake we are only half alive. To be awake spiritually means to be open and receptive; vigilant and active; and to be attentive to God. Jesus urges us to stay awake, to be on our guard, to be on the watch. In today’s Gospel, it is Christ himself who is asking each one of us so to live our lives, that when we are called to judgment we may not be found wanting. This does not mean that we must be praying constantly. Nor does it mean that we must take no interest in the affairs of this life. Of the two men working in the field and of the two women grinding corn, one of each pair was found unworthy, not because of the work he or she was doing, but because they had excluded God and His purpose in their life. The two who were found worthy had room for God and their own salvation. Their work was part of their loyal service to God and was a means towards their salvation. As St Paul tells in today’s Second Reading, “You know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep.” He tells the Christians in Rome to avoid drunken orgies and wrangling and jealousies. They numb their spiritual sensitivity to the world beyond their own flesh. When people are engaged full-time in satisfying their own craving they are not disposed to face reality and take responsibility for their own lives. In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the future coming of the Son of man to encourage people to take responsibility for the present time. The only way to be ready for an unpredictable event is to make the present a time of ‘fidelity’. Then there is nothing to fear. The only way to secure the future is to care about the present and stay awake. How, then, do we as Christians prepare for Christmas? One beautiful practice is to attend Mass, as far as possible, daily. In the First Reading of today, Isaiah prophesied that people would stream to Jerusalem from all over the world. We do it by faith every time we gather and worship Christ, and every time we read the Bible and meditate. And in the Second Reading St Paul exhorts us to fight against sin, mindful that our salvation is near at hand. Work to get rid of all sinful habits. We must ‘put on Christ’. One of the great ways “to put on Christ” is to grow in affection for Christ’s members, first of all for those in our own families. Another thing we can do is to be peacemakers. When we have peace in our hearts, we radiate it and people sense it. This season, in which we recall the Son of God living as an embryo in his mother’s womb, certainly invites us to have reverence for life. Work for the Right to life. As Christians, it is not enough to be physically awake; we need to be awake socially, morally and spiritually. So, during this Advent season, let us try to focus on Jesus, our Saviour and make our hearts a worthy place for him. —Fr Sebastian Kattackal, ssp   Nov/Dec 2010     READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK Psalter Week 1 29 Mon (V) Is 4:2-6 (or 2:1-5)/ Ps 121:1-2,3-4a,8-9/ Mt 8:5-11 30 Tue (R) ST ANDREW, Ap, Fst; Rom 10:9-18/ Ps 18:2-3,4-5/ Mt 4:18-22 01 Wed (V) Is 25:6-10a/ Ps 22:1-3a,3b-4,5,6/ Mt 15:29-37 02 Thu (V) Is 26:1-6/ Ps 117:1 & 8-9,19-21,25-27a/ Mt 7:21,24-27 03 Fri (W) ST FRANCIS XAVIER, Sol; Jer 1:4-8 (or Act 17:22-28)/ Ps 70:1-2,3-4a,5-6ab, 15ab & 15/ 2 Cor 4:7-15 (or Eph 3:1-13)/ Lk 10:1-16 04 Sat (W) St John Damascene, Is 30:19-21,23-26/ Ps 146:1-2,3-4,5-6/ Mt 9:35—10:1,6-8