2nd Sunday of Advent

2nd Sunday of Advent (Español) (Vietnamese)

Our commentary this week is provided by Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of San Diego. For a PDF version, visit http://www.christ-ion.com

Opening Prayer

Loving Father, As we begin this new Season of Grace, fill

us with the joyful virtue of hope. Help us to long for your

Son Jesus with love in our hearts. Let us remain faithful

until he returns in glory. Amen.

Commentary

1st Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

What joyful news!

Though the people of Israel had sinned, the

Lord promises to eliminate (expiate) their

wrongs and give them a double dose of

comfort.

We can’t ever outdo God’s generosity. We wrong him, and

he pardons us. Moreover, he takes us back as a shepherd

gathers lambs in his bosom.

There is a wonderful statue at the priests’ house of prayer

in Los Angeles of Jesus holding a young lamb. Jesus is

laughing as the lamb is struggling to jump out of his grasp.

This is the image that we should consider as we celebrate

this Season of Advent. Jesus, our Lord and God, shepherds

us with generosity. The Lord wants us to be with him. He

also knows that we want to be with him. However, God is

very aware of our desire to go astray. Thankfully, his justice

is coupled with mercy. As our Responsorial Psalm

proclaims, “justice and peace shall kiss.”

Generously, our Lord takes us back and gives us double

the grace. He gives us himself.

Question

Is the Lord generous to you despite your sins? How?

2nd Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14

Jeanne Calment, the oldest woman recorded to ever have

lived was 122 before she died in France. Reportedly, when

asked when she would expect to die, she responded, “I

don’t know. I think God forgot I was down here.”

It has been nearly two-thousand years

since the Lord ascended into heaven with

the promise that he would come again.

Patiently, Christians have been waiting.

However, patience has run thin for many

and they have just given up on the promise.

Some people get the sense that the Lord

forgot we were down here. “What’s the

delay?” they ask.

St. Peter reminds us that “the Lord does not delay his

promise, as some regard “delay,” for the Lord’s sense of

time is not our own.

We don’t know when the Lord will come, but we must

always be prepared. When the Lord said that he would

return in glory, he never gave a time stamp. For this reason,

we must wait with patience?

Question

Are you a patient person?

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the Gospel of Mark gives us an

introduction to an unusual person. We have become

accustomed to John the Baptist. But, imagine reading this

Sacred Book for the first time and

reading about this man in the desert,

wearing camel’s hair, a belt around his

waist, and eating things that you

would normally kill with a can of bug

spray.

Truly, John was an unusual prophet

for an unusual event in world history.

He was “preparing the way” (a

reference to the 1st Reading from

Isaiah) for God himself who would

make the paths straight.

It is Christ Jesus who would come to

fill in the valleys and lower the hills so

that all people would live on a level

playing field. In Christ, “kindness and

peace would meet and justice and

peace would kiss” (Responsorial

Psalm).

John the Baptist’s extraordinary

character is nothing compared to the person or the life

changing events that would follow.

Question

John pointed to something bigger in our lives. He showed

us the Lord. How do you point to the Lord in your life?

This Week's Task

Advent Season is a time to prepare ourselves spiritually.

The Season offers us a time to be reconciled to the Lord.

Consider visiting your parish for an Advent Penance

Service or going to confession on Saturday.

As you prepare for confession, consider reviewing the 10

Commandments or the two greatest Commandments

(Loving God and loving others as we love ourselves).

This would be a great way to prepare yourself for Christmas

and to make a New Year’s resolution to change your pattern

of behavior.

Group Prayer

Pray or sing this traditional Advent hymn:

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

The prayer continues with Psalm 85

Response: Lord, let us see your kindness,

and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his

people.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who

fear him,

glory dwelling in our land.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your

salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your

salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and prepare the way of his steps.

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your

salvation.

Conclude with an Our Father

Blessed New Liturgical Year! 1st Sunday of Advent

1st Sunday of Advent (Español) (Vietnamese)

Our commentary this week is provided by Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of San Diego. For a PDF version, visit http://www.christ-ion.com

Opening Prayer

Loving Father, As we begin this new Season of Grace, fill

us with the joyful virtue of hope. Help us to long for your

Son Jesus with love in our hearts. Let us remain faithful

until he returns in glory. Amen.

Commentary

1st Reading: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7

The Season of Advent marks the beginning

of a new Liturgical Year. As we begin this

year, we are reminded to have our eyes and

hearts set on the Lord who will come again in

glory.

Our First Reading reminds us that, in ages

past, people had called out to the Lord - as we do today - to

give them aid. Without God to heal them from their sinfulness,

they were wandering aimlessly. They called for the

Lord to come.

And, so the Lord did come.

Our Catholic faith professes that the Lord not only came to

us, but he died for us, he rose for us, and he would come

again to bring us to himself. Our Advent Season reminds us

to eagerly await his return with steadfast faith.

Advent is a Season of hope knowing that Christ will come

again. He has not disappointed us thus far, so our hope is not

in vain.

Hope is one of the three theological virtues. Faith and love

are the other two. In the end, these three remain. As we begin

this new year within this Season of Advent, let us put the

virtue of hope to work in our lives.

Question

In what way do you hope in the Lord? 

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 1:3-9

Advent is not only a time to remember the virtue of hope. It

is also a time for us to rekindle our faith.

This faith begins with God who, as Saint Paul reminds us,

“is faithful” Himself.

Indeed, it would be difficult for Paul to

encourage the Corinthians as they await

the Lord’s return unless they had a sense

that God was faithful toward them.

Indeed, the whole Advent message is about

God’s fidelity toward us. God hears our

cry, he comes to our aid, he dies and rises

for us, and he remains with us (especially

in the Sacraments) until the final revelation of his glory.


Questions

Why else would we believe in God unless he was faithful to

us first?

Why else would we hope in God, unless he entrusted

himself to us first?

Why else would we love God unless he loved us first?

How has the Lord been faithful to you?

Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

As we begin a new Church Year, we begin a new Cycle of

Readings. Last year, we read from the Gospel of Luke.

Next year, we will read from the Gospel of Matthew. This

year, we will read from the Gospels of Mark and John.

Our Gospel today reminds us that the

Lord will return in glory. However,

we do not know when. Therefore, we

must always be watchful and alert!

Unfortunately, for many, being

watchful and alert means trying to

second guess the Lord as to when and

where he will arrive.

The verse before our Gospel passage

this Sunday (vs 32) has Jesus say,

“But about that day or hour no one

knows, not even the angels in heaven,

nor the Son, but only the Father.”

True faith, hope, and love for God

does not depend on a future date.

Faithfulness, hope, and love for God

begins now!

Questions

Are you preparing to love God when the Lord comes, or

are you loving God now?

As you prepare for Christmas, what spiritual gift will you

offer a friend, family member, or neighbor?

This Weeks' Task

Consider giving them a gift of Christ in Our Neighborhood.

Invite them to join you this Season of Advent to break open

the Holy Scriptures and reflect on the Word of God who

came to set us free.

Consider one or both of the following:

1) Forward your friends the link to christ-ion.com via

facebook, instagram, or twitter.

2) Invite your friends to group with you for the four weeks

of Advent.

Pray or sing this traditional Advent hymn:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Response: Lord, make us turn to you;
let us see your face and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,

from your throne upon the cherubim, 

shine forth.

Rouse your power,

and come to save us.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we
shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,

look down from heaven, and see;

take care of this vine,

and protect what your right hand has planted

the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we
shall be saved.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,

with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

Then we will no more withdraw from you;

give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we
shall be saved.

Conclude with an Our Father

Christ the Kings Sunday

Feast of Christ the King (Español)

Our commentary this week is provided by Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of San Diego. For a PDF version, visit http://www.christ-ion.com

Prayer

Father, You understand the difficulties we face. We ask that you guide us as we take our final exam here on earth. Guide us with your Word. Assist us with your Sacraments. May we be pass the test of faith, hope, and love, until we find ourselves before your Son, our Lord and King. Amen

1st Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

Everything has an end.

Our Church Year ends this Sunday with the Feast of Christ the King. However, just as the year ends, we are preparing for a new year with the Season of Advent. Next week is a new beginning. As we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, we are reminded that our life itself has an end. However, depending on how we live out our life here on earth, our new beginning will be one of eternal bliss or eternal torment. As we recall, this life we have here is our final exam. When we stand before the Lord at the gates of heaven, we will not be given another test. Instead, we will be given a final grade. Our First Reading and Gospel today give us an example of how we are to be graded. Jesus, the Shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats. In other words, our grades will be pass or fail. Fortunately, while Jesus is a just King, he is also a Good Shepherd who has us in his best interest. It is for this reason, the Lord provides us ample opportunities to pass the test while here on earth. Walking from sin, living in Christ, and tending to the needy are just a few ways in which we can stand confidently before our Good Shepherd and Just Judge. 

Are you a sheep or a goat? Or, are you a little bit of both?

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

There’s a lot packed in this reading. It seems those Corinthians to whom St. Paul addresses his letter were often confused. He found it necessary to explain the order of things; especially the things regarding the Lord’s resurrection. In the verse after our Second Reading today (1 Cor 15:29), Paul needs to remind the Corinthians that they are not to take their faith in vain: “Otherwise, what will people accomplish by having themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they having themselves baptized for them?” Paul is trying to set the Church straight on Jesus’ nature and our salvation. Jesus is raised first and those who follow him will rise with him when he returns in glory. As Christians, we know this. However, to have this knowledge in our minds but not in our heart can be very dangerous. To know Christ and the bright promise that awaits those of us who follow him is very promising. That is, if we follow him! Thankfully, we have Paul, our Scripture, our Tradition, our Church, our Sacraments, our priests and catechists to help us stay on track and follow the Lord until he comes again. Left alone, we will wander. We will forget what is important. We will cling to the things of this earth and fail to see the great and awesome opportunity that awaits us all when we see our Lord. 

What does it mean to live forever with Christ?

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

A king has the power to judge.

The verse we should reflect on is “and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”.

The kingdom is compared, not to a shepherd nor to the sheep and the goats, but to the act of separation. Jesus uses other parables related to separation: wheat and weeds, good and bad fish, good and bad stewards. These are all are parables about judgment.

We are all sent on mission. Just like the early disciples in the church, the mission is clear, feed the hungry, welcome tho stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. We all know the mission.

On this solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the universe, let’s be mindful of his role. A king has the power to judge.

This is our final exam. How will he judge us in the end?

Do I think of Jesus as a king and a judge, or just my buddy?

This Week's Task

We are concluding the A-Cycle of Readings of a three-year cycle with this Sunday. Over this last year, we focused on the Gospel of Matthew.

Next week begins a new Church Year. The primary Gospel for the B-Cycle is Mark; although we will also reflect on passages from the Gospel of John.

This week, you are invited to read the entire Gospel of Mark. There are only 16 chapters in the entire Gospel, so you can do it in one setting. However, you are invited to make notes and find common themes throughout the Gospel.

Try to discover something new in your reading of Mark. If you have questions about the readings, consider visiting the following link: https://stpaulcenter.com/the-gospel-of-mark/

The group prays the following Prayer:

Almighty and merciful God,

you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe.

May all in heaven and earth

acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you.

We ask this through Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Continue with Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Beside restful waters he leads me;

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me

in the sight of my foes;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Conclude with an Our Father

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Español)

Our commentary this week is provided by Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of San Diego. For a PDF version, visit http://www.christ-ion.com

Prayer

Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God, the constant gladness of being devoted to you, for it is full and lasting happiness to serve with constancy the author of all that is good. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 

1st Reading: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

We are coming to the close of our Church Year and in a few weeks, we will begin a new Liturgical cycle with the 1st Sunday of Advent. As we near the end of this year, this week and next (The Feast of Christ the King) provides us with a theme of closure. The truth is that this world is not our final destiny. Our final destiny is through the gates which lead to God in heaven. Often, people think that we will be tested when we arrive at the gates of heaven. On the contrary. It is here on earth where we take our final exam. It is at the gates, where we are graded. There, we will be graded for our life of virtues of faith, hope, and love. For example, the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs is to be rewarded: “Give her a share in the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her at the city gates.” This theme is also found in today’s Gospel parable of the talents: the profitable servants are given a share in their earnings. The end of our Church year reminds us that we too have an end to our life here on earth. How we live out the virtues of faith, hope, and love for God will determine how we are greeted at the gates of heaven. Now is our final exam!

How would I grade myself? Am I a virtuous person?

2nd Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

Have you ever been in a classroom where the teacher handed the class a surprise exam? Of course, the purpose of the exam is to test our readiness for the final exam - and final grade. Staying on top of our studies in class is like life itself. If we fall behind in work, we have to work double-time to catch up. For this reason, many find it hard to take a vacation from their work. When it comes to the Christian life, their is no vacation from our vocation to be virtuous. To live our faith, to hope in God, and to love Him with our whole heart, soul, and strength is the life of a virtuous disciple of the Lord. Thankfully, we have St. Paul and other Christian writers to give us the push to stay on track and to remember our Christian calling while here on earth. St. Paul is saying, “no nap today,” because the day at which we must give a flawless account is unknown to us. We don’t know when we will be graded for our exam here on earth. However, it isn’t as if the Lord hasn’t given the answers to our final exam. Our Christian life is an open book examination. We aren’t in the dark. We are” children of the light and of the day.” Anyone who strives in the Christian sense is always ready for the final grade. The day of the Lord cannot take a Christian “by surprise like a thief.”\

Am I ready for my final grade?

Gospel: Matthew 25:14-20

God, the Creator has entrusted his possessions to the creatures. The Savior has entrusted his possessions to the redeemed; each according to his abilities. In other words, in a very tailored fashion.

In ancient times, talents were valuable sums of money but today we understand talents as intellectual abilities and skills given to individuals. God has entrusted these talents to us in our to give Glory to God.

In our Gospel parable, the owner disappears and the servants remain behind with all of his assets. These gifts are to produce something in return.

The lazy servant has eyes only for the Lord’s strictness, not his kind generosity; he confused himself with contradictions. “You harvest where you have not planted; so out of fear I went off and buried your money in the ground.”

Of course, if the servant really viewed the talent entrusted to him as a measure of the landowners’ sternness, the servant should have worked even harder, knowing that the owner would return.

In school, some classes may be easy, while others may be difficult. In life, some gifts from God come easy, while others may appear to be crosses. Our talents and gifts can be blessings and curses. What we do with them before the Lord returns, depends on our willingness to serve the Lord.

What will I have to give in return when the Lord comes?

This Week's Task

Journal a list of your talents. Consider the easy ones, but don’t forget the ones you have to work at.

In what way have you used your talents for the Greater Glory of God and His Kingdom?

In what way are you using your talents to serve the God’s people on earth?

The group prays the following Prayer:

Loving Father, you alone are the source of every good gift. We praise you for all your gifts to us, and we thank you for your generosity.

Everything we have, and all that we are, comes from you. Help us to be grateful and responsible.

You have called us to follow your son, Jesus, without counting the cost. Send us your Holy Spirit to give us courage and wisdom to be faithful disciples.

We commit ourselves to being good stewards. Help us to be grateful, accountable, generous, and willing to give back with increase. Help us to make stewardship a way of life.

AMEN

Continue with Psalm 128

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Conclude with an Our Father