Second Sunday of Advent

 

On the second Sunday of Advent, the second candle is lit

Invitation

May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?

This invitation wants to share with You the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.

Available every day

Opening address

We look forward hopefully to the Lord’s coming.
He wants to touch our hearts and make our lives new.
On this second Sunday of Advent
john the Baptist is our guide.
His call to repentance also rings out today.
Let us open our hearts to his words
and boldly pave the way for the Lord.

FIRST READING                Isa 11:1-10
The little ones He will provide justice.

From the prophet Isaiah

In those days a twig will sprout from the stump of Isaiah,
a shoot from his roots will bear fruit.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and valour,
the spirit of love and fear of the Lord,
and this fear of the Lord he will radiate.

He will not pass judgment according to outward appearances,
make no judgment on the basis of hearsay.
The little ones He will provide justice,
pass fair judgment on the least of these,
but the exploiter He will scourge with the scourge of His mouth,
and slay the evildoer with the breath of His lips.

Righteousness will be the girdle around His hips,
incorruptibility the belt around his loins.

Then the wolf dwells with the lamb,
the panther perches next to the kid,
the calf and the lion cub graze together.
a toddler can graze them!
Cow and bear have made love,
their young lie side by side
and the lion eats hay with the cow.
The infant plays by the viper’s den,
and the little child puts its hand in the snake’s nest!
Then no one sins any more, no one does evil any more
in all my holy mountain,
but the whole earth will be filled with love for God,
as the seabed is buried under the water.

In that day the root of Isaiah will
will stand erect as the banner of the nations:
All nations will flock to him.
And his throne will be glorious!

Answer Psalm                         Ps 72(71), 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

Refrain
Righteousness will blossom in his days

My God, grant the king your wisdom,
the king’s son your justice.
May he rule your people justly,
your poor with equity.

Justice will blossom in his days
and prosperity everywhere till the end of the months.
Reign shall he from sea to sea,
from the river to the border of the earth.

The poor who ask for support he will deliver,
the unfortunate without help.
He will take care of the deprived,
the weak he will give life again.

Forever remain his name praised,
in honour as long as there are days.
That name will be a blessing on earth,
for to him all nations praise joyfully.

SECOND READING            Rom. 15:4-9
Christ gives comfort to all people.

From the holy apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians of Rome

Brothers and sisters,

All that was written down of old,
was recorded for our learning,
that through the perseverance and comfort
which we draw from the Scriptures,
we may live in hope.
God, who grants perseverance and consolation,
grant also unto you unity
in the spirit of Christ Jesus,
that ye may be of one heart and mouth
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept therefore one another as members of one community,
just as Christ also
into his community,
for the glory of God.
I mean this:
For the sake of God’s faithfulness
christ has been servant to the Jewish people,
to fulfil the promises made to the patriarchs;
but the Gentiles are to glorify God
for his mercy,
according to the word of Scripture:
“Therefore will I praise thee among the Gentiles
and praise thy Name with psalms.”

Verse for the gospel                      Lk. 3, 4-6

Alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight;
and all mankind will see God’s salvation.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL                        Mt 3:1-12
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

From the holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

In those days John the Baptist appeared
and preached in the desert of Judea:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Surely it is this one that the prophet Isaiah meant,
when he said:
“A voice of one calling in the desert:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.”

John now wore a robe of camel’s hair
and a leather belt around his loins.
His food consisted of locusts and wild honey.

Then Jerusalem, Judea and all the region of Jordan went
came out to him
and they were baptised by him in the river, the Jordan,
while they confessed their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming
to be baptised,
he spoke to them:

“You brood of vipers, who has pretended to you ,
that you can escape the impending wrath?
“Rather bring forth fruits befitting repentance,
and do not adopt an attitude as if you said to yourself:
We have Abraham for a father!
“Truly, I tell you
that God has the power
to beget children for Abraham out of these stones!
“Already the axe is at the root of the trees.
“Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit,
shall be cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptise you with water, that you may repent.
“But He who comes after me is stronger than me,
and I am not worthy to strip Him of His sandals.
“He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
“The winnow He has in His hand
and He will thoroughly purify His threshing floor;
his wheat He will gather into the barn,
but burn the chaff in unquenchable fire.”

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Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCISCUS

On caring for the common home

207. The Earth Charter called on us all to leave a time of
self-destruction behind us and to start anew, but we have not yet
developed a universal consciousness that makes this possible. That is why I
dare  put forward again this valuable challenge: “As
never before in history, a common
destiny obliges us to seek a new beginning […]. Let our time go down in history
enter as an era of the turn towards a new reverence for
life, the determination to achieve sustainable development, an
intensification of the struggle for justice and peace and the
joyful celebration of life”.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am