Prepare the way of the Lord

Second Sunday of Advent – Year C

Collect 

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Bar 5:1-9

Jerusalem, God will show your splendor.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Baruch

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;
   put on the splendor of glory from God forever:
wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,
   bear on your head the mitre
   that displays the glory of the eternal name.
For God will show all the earth your splendor:
   you will be named by God forever
   the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.

Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;
   look to the east and see your children
   gathered from the east and the west
   at the word of the Holy One,
   rejoicing that they are remembered by God.
Led away on foot by their enemies they left you:
   but God will bring them back to you
   borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.
For God has commanded
   that every lofty mountain be made low,
and that the age-old depths and gorges
   be filled to level ground,
   that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God.
The forests and every fragrant kind of tree
   have overshadowed Israel at God’s command;
for God is leading Israel in joy
   by the light of his glory,
   with his mercy and justice for company.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R. :

℟. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
   we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
   and our tongue with rejoicing.

℟. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,
   “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
   we are glad indeed.

℟. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
   like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
  shall reap rejoicing.

℟. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,
   carrying the seed to be sown,
they shall come back rejoicing,
   carrying their sheaves.

℟. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Second Reading
Phil 1:4-6, 8-11

Show yourselves pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians

Brothers and sisters:
I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
   because of your partnership for the gospel
   from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
   that the one who began a good work in you
   will continue to complete it
   until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness,
   how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
   that your love may increase ever more and more
   in knowledge and every kind of perception,
   to discern what is of value,
   so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
   filled with the fruit of righteousness
   that comes through Jesus Christ
   for the glory and praise of God.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Lk 3:4, 6

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.


℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Lk 3:1-6

All flesh shall see the salvation of God.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
   when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
   and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
   and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
   and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
   during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
   the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
   proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
   as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
      A voice of one crying out in the desert:
      “Prepare the way of the Lord,
         make straight his paths.
      Every valley shall be filled
         and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
      The winding roads shall be made straight,
         and the rough ways made smooth,
      and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Lectio Divina

The Gospel of the Second Sunday of Advent presents us with John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus. The Evangelist begins by giving us a brief overview of the political and religious context of the time by naming several leaders amongst whom were Anna and Caiaphas, holding the office of high priest. Precisely during the rule of these leaders, “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (v. 2). 

The desert is a place associated with solitude and silence, separated from the many distractions of our fast-paced world that alienates us from ourselves and from God. In the desert, John was spiritually strengthened.  In the desert he developed a profound relationship with God and was disposed to receiving His Word. Therefore, John was able to listen to God’s call and “went into all the region around the Jordan” (v. 3) to accomplish his prophetic mission. If we also want to progress in our spiritual journey, we must discover the desert within us and nurture an interior silence to hear the voice of the Lord.

What occupies your life?  What needs to be eliminated to make space for the Lord? Are you finding time to spend in silence with the Lord, to allow him to speak to you?

John’s mission was to prepare the hearts of the people for the Lord.  He came “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (v. 3), and many thirsty for God went to John to be baptised. John urged the people to repent and change their lives. It is worth recalling our Baptism that we most likely received when we were infants. Baptism not only gives us our identity as Christians, but also calls us to put on Christ and proclaim him to the countless people thirsting for him in today’s world. The Christian’s life is built upon the Word of God that demands of us continual conversion.

How are you living out the Baptism you received? How committed are you in proclaiming Jesus to those around you? When we have the Lord with us, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth” (v. 5). Let us proclaim this message of hope during Advent.  

Prayer

In God alone is my soul at rest;
it is from him that my salvation comes.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress, so that I stand ever unshaken.

(Psalm 62:2-3)

 

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