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O Jesus, I rejoice at the signs that say you are near. Your power is everywhere if I could see it. Yet my eyes often see only darkness and what has yet to be done. I believe in those who are signs for us this Advent who were so strong and good. Make my vision sharper to experience the Joseph’s, the Baptist’s and Mary’s around me. CHANT: ‘The Lord is my light, my light and salvation, In God I trust, in God I trust.’ (Taizé Chant)
JOSEPH, JUSTICE FOR ADVENT GOSPEL: Matthew 1: 18-25
Prayer To Joseph Joseph, we venerate you as the just man, in your guidance, in your protection, in your labour for Jesus and Mary. You lived, moved, and acted in the loving company of Jesus and Mary. The inspired writer describes your life at Nazareth in only a few words, yet the words tell of your calling here on earth, and the abundance of graces which filled your soul during those years spent in Nazareth. You are a source of strength and encouragement to us. AMEN.
PAUSE
MARY AS MODEL FOR ADVENT READING: I like to think about Mary, my spiritual mother, during this Advent season. She is the one who became the mother of Jesus and brought the first Advent of the Christ into our history. She is the active agent cooperating with God in the plan of salvation history.
As we prepare for the event of Jesus' Birth at Christmas, in the spirit of Mary we are more interested in participation than in a commemoration of a past event. That moment is gone, but our faith has brought about a birthday of Christ each day during Advent and the rest of the year through the mysteries of our faith. We turn to Mary who is the person who did this for the first time. She was born in the soil of Judaism and listened to the words of Isaiah, our leading Advent prophet. She probably was pondering over some of the same passages that we do during this season. She full-heartedly agreed with her YES to God and thus gave birth to the baby Jesus, first through her faith, then through her flesh.
She will continue to pray and ponder over this event in her heart while participating as a faithful disciple of Jesus in all the events of his life from conception, to birth, to early years and ministry and then to his death upon the Cross. She is a pilgrim with him on his trips to Jerusalem including his last memorable and fateful one. Yes, Mary is a great model for this season of Advent. Blessed is she who believed that the word of the Lord would be accomplished in her. Bertrand Buby, S.M.
Prayer to Our Lady Mary, Mother of Jesus, give me your heart so beautiful, so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in all I meet, love Him as You loved Him and serve Him as You served Him in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor. Amen.
PAUSE
JOHN THE PROPHET FOR ADVENT READING: St. Gregory the Great said that all Christians should continue the prophetic mission of John and point out the presence of Christ in the world. This may mean many different things. John was able to point out Christ at the Jordan, in a moment of fulfilment, which gave meaning to his whole life. But John also had to witness to Christ in prison, in face of death, in failure, when even the meaning of his other glorious moment seemed to have been cancelled out. So too, we may at times be able to show the world Christ in moments when all can clearly discern in history some confirmation of the Christian message. But the fact remains that our task is to seek and find and find Christ in our world as it is, and not as it might be. The fact that the world is other than it might be does not alter the truth that Christ is present in it and that his plan has been neither frustrated nor changed: indeed, all will be done according to his will. Our Advent is the celebration of this hope. What is uncertain is not the ‘coming’ of Christ but our own reception of him, our own response to him, our own readiness and capacity to ‘go forth to meet him.’ We must be willing to see him and acclaim him, as John did, even at the very moment when our whole life’s work and all its meaning seem to collapse. Thomas Merton Prayer to John the Baptist Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, doubted the angel of God, and because of this was struck dumb until John's birth. We ask Saint John to pray for us when I doubt, that our own hesitancy to believe will be converted into strong faith and true conviction. Lord Jesus, I do believe; help my unbelief. May we follow the example of St John the Baptist and prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of others. AMEN!
INTERCESSIONS: V/ Jesus Christ is the joy and happiness of all who look forward to his coming. Let us call upon him and say: R/ Come, Lord, and do not delay! V/ In joy, we wait for your coming, R/ Come, Lord Jesus. V/ Before time began, you shared life with the Father, R/ Come now and save us. V/ You created the world and all who live in it, R/ Come to redeem the work of your hands. V/ You did not hesitate to become man, subject to death, R/ Come to free us from the power of death. V/ You came to give us life to the full, R/ Come and give us your unending life. V/ You desire all people to live in love in your kingdom, R/ Come and bring together those who long to see you face to face.
Chant: 'The Lord is My Light' (refrain) (Taizé Chant)
Br. Nick Morris (Rome) |
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