December 9, 2012

Second Sunday of Advent

An Advent devotion from Creighton University.

Lectionary: 6

We are in the book of Baruch. The book of Baruch is one of the 7 Deuterocanonical books which Luther cast out of the Protestant Bible.  Protestants consider it an "apocryphal" book.  Which means that they don't know who wrote it. The Catholic Church however, believes the traditions passed dwon by the Jewish people that the book of Baruch was written by the Prophet Baruch.  The Prophet Baruch is a disciple of the Prophet Jeremiah.  Read more about the Prophet Baruch.

Reading 1 from the Holy Book of Baruch
Bar 5:1-9

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.

Baruch tells the Jews to rejoice in the Lord and leave behind their sadness and misery.

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.

Baruch tells Jerusalem that God will glorify Jerusalem before the entire world.

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.

Baruch tells Jerusalem that the Jews will be gathered from all the antions where they have been scattered when they angered 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.

After they suffered in foreign lands, they repented of their sins, called out to God and God brought them back.

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 lofty mountains which are made low are the Kingdoms which dominated Israel and enslaved the Jews.  But God has defeated them and brought the Jews out of captivity, again.

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.

But God has brought springtime back to Israel and He Himself is shining His mercy and justice upon it.  This is a reference to the coming of Jesus Christ, God incarnate.

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.

R. 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.

R. 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.

R. 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.

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

This is about Israel's punishment when they forsook God and turned to other gods.  God punished them and scattered them among the nations.  But then, a remnant of Israel turned to God and repented of their sins.  God forgave them and freed them from their captivity.

In a veiled manner, it is also about all those who have sinned and turned away from God.  And God punishes us.  Then we turn to Him in tears and repentance.  He forgives and takes us back.

Reading 2 from St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians
Phil 1:4-6, 8-11

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.

St. Paul greets the people of Philippi and reveals that he always prays joyfully because of their continued participation in the Gospel.

I am confident of this,that the one who began a good work in youwill continue to complete ituntil the day of Christ Jesus.

And he believes that God will continue to work in them until the Day of Judgment.

God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And he says that he loves them as Christ loves them.

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.

And he prays that they may also learn to love like Christ in order that they may learn judgment and discernment and become perfected in Godliness to the praise and glory of God.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Lk 3:1-6

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.

St. Luke was a wonderful historian.  And he gives very specific details as to the time when St. John the Baptist was called by the Holy Spirit, to preach 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."

And St. John began to preach about the coming of Jesus Christ and calling all Israel to repent of their sins.

Sincerely,

De Maria