PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Greeting (Cf. Second Reading)
United in mind and voice
we give glory to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord be with you.
R/ And with your spirit.
Introduction
Baptized With the Spirit of Fire
On this Second Sunday of Advent we are preparing for the fuller coming of Christ in our communities and in the world. We need to be people full of the Spirit of Christ. The Saviour was announced by Isaiah and John the Baptist as a man completely filled with God’s Spirit. He would baptize us with the Spirit of fire. John says to us: Let this Spirit of fire change your mentality, your attitudes, your ways, so that Jesus can really live among us to make this world a place of unity and integrity, of justice and peace. Let Jesus pour out this Spirit among us here.
So, we are told to prepare the Way of the Lord. And the interesting question is always: Has Jesus Christ come or is he still to come? For many he has not yet come, for most of the world does not follow him. Even among us, many do not live the way he taught us. The world he wanted us to build up is still a dream of the future, not the reality of the present. What are we going to do about it? We must change, and then our world will change. We ask the Lord Jesus in this Eucharist to prepare his deeper coming among us.
Penitential Act
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us
that we have failed to bring Jesus
and his message to a waiting world.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, we have not prepared well
the way for your coming in our world.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, we have said we are Christians,
but do not always live your life.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, we have received the Holy Spirit,
but his fire is not burning bright in us.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, let your forgiving mercy
convert us to your ways.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray
that we may hasten the deeper coming
of Jesus our Saviour
(pause)
God our Father,
you sent your Messiah into our world
with the power and the fire of love.
May all your people accept him in faith
so that he can grow in us.
Keep your Church faithful
to the gospel of justice and peace
and hasten the time of joy
when you gather into your kingdom
all who will believe in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading (Isaiah 11:1-10): A Saviour Filled with God’s Spirit
The great prophet Isaiah announces a Saviour who will transform the world and bring it God’s peace, because he is filled with the Spirit of God.
1 Reading: ISAIAH 11:1-10
On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbours, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Responsorial PSALM 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment. R.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth. R.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save. R.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R.
Second Reading (Romans 15:4-9): Follow Christ, Savior of All
The scriptures of the Old Testament kept alive the hope of God’s people. We share in the same hope and pray that this hope may extend to all.
2 Reading: Romans 15:4-9
Brothers and sisters: Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.
Alleluia: LUKE 3:4, 6
Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel (Matthew 3:1-12): Change Your Ways, and the Lord Will Come!
John the Baptist came to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Saviour Jesus Christ. His message was, and still is for us today: Change your ways, be open to his Spirit.
Gospel: MATTHEW 3:1-12
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Commentary
Wilderness Act
Isaiah prophesies about the “shoot of Jesse” who will rule with the Spirit of the Lord to lead us to the dawn of peace. Paul invites us to see God’s faithfulness realized in Christ. John the Baptist prepares the way for the Prince of Peace by inviting people to conversion.
John did not go to the towns and villages to preach (as would do his cousin later). John preached and baptized in the wilderness and people went to him. He had a singular message: REPENT! Change your ways! Prepare the way for the Lord! In the fast-paced world we live in, it is hard to pause and reflect. We must necessarily “withdraw into the wilderness” periodically. Once in the wilderness, we must listen to the prophetic voice that emerges from within, asking us to change our ways. What do I need to repent from? What must I do to prepare myself to play host to the Lord? Advent is that time of the year when we should make this retreat to wilderness and discern with John the Baptist.
Soulfully pray the act of contrition.
Identify some three areas in your life where you need to make definitive changes for the better. Plan out, in prayer, how to effect the change.
Intercessions
Prepare the Way of the Lord
Let us pray to the Lord Jesus that we may prepare his deeper coming in the Church and the world of today. Let us say:
R/ Come, Lord Jesus, wait no longer.
– Lord Jesus, help your ministers and all in positions of authority, that by their gentleness, understanding and serving love they may reflect better your face, we pray:
R/ Come Lord Jesus, wait no longer.
– Lord Jesus, dispose all leaders and people in power to bring your peace and your justice to a world dominated by strife and exploitation, we pray:
R/ Come, Lord Jesus, wait no longer.
– Lord Jesus, make our Christian communities pay more attention to the sick and the elderly, the unemployed and the lonely, we pray:
R/ Come, Lord Jesus, wait no longer.
– Lord Jesus, teach each and everyone of us to free ourselves from greed and the hunger for power, that we may be more open to the people around us, we pray:
R/ Come, Lord Jesus, wait no longer.
– Lord Jesus, help all of us here in the Eucharist to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christmas, that we may do away with all that stands in the way of your deeper coming in our hearts and in our community, we pray:
R/ Come, Lord Jesus, wait no longer.
Lord Jesus, fill us with the joy of your presence. Stay with us, now and for ever.
R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
these are only small gifts,
a piece of bread, a bit of wine.
Accept them and give us instead
your own Son Jesus Christ.
Through his Spirit and his fire
change us, timid people,
into signs to everyone and all
of your tenderness and mercy,
your justice and your peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
We voice our praise and thanks to the Father for the coming of his Son among us and we pray that we may receive him more deeply.
Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer
Let the Spirit of Jesus pray in us
to our Father in heaven: R/ Our Father…
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from the fear
of letting your Son and his Gospel
change our hearts and minds.
Keep us free from sin
and give us the peace that comes
from integrity and justice.
Help us to be in hope and joy
the way that prepares
for the coming among all humanity
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom…
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Lamb of God,
announced by the prophets
as the Saviour of all.
Happy are we that he invites us
to prepare the way for his coming. R/ Lord, I am not worthy…
Prayer after Communion
Our God and Father,
your Spirit of wisdom and strength
was alive in Jesus, your Son.
Pour out the same Spirit on us,
that we may bear witness today
to your faithfulness and love.
And give us always people inspired by you,
prophets like John the Baptist,
to wake us up when we are self-satisfied,
and to inspire us to prepare the way
for the full coming of Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing (from Rom 15, the chapter of the Second Reading; 15:5; 15:13; 15:33)
Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing.
(With hands extended over the people.)
May God, the source of all fortitude
and all encouragement make you capable
of living in perfect harmony with one another
according to the Spirit of Jesus Christ. R/ Amen.
May God, the source of hope,
fill you with all joy and peace,
until, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
you overflow with hope. R/ Amen.
May the God of peace be with you all. R/ Amen.
And may almighty God bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord
in the people around you.
R/ Thanks be to God.