Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection: 29 November 2020 – First Sunday Of Advent
Readings at Mass for Sunday November 29, 2020
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B: Advent is the season that begins the Liturgical Year. It originated in the early Church as a short period of intense preparation for the celebration of the nativity of the Lord on December 25th. Advent slowly came to be structured into four Sundays with proper readings and prayers. This season is marked by devout and joyful expectation as we recall the first humble coming of the Lord at Bethlehem. At the same time, we are invited to direct our mind and heart towards Christ’s final coming in glory at the end of time.
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
MINNA: Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary of the Episcopal ordination of Most Revd Martin Uzoukwu, 30th November, 1996.
Theme of the Sunday: The Vigilant Wait: The Advent readings invite us to be vigilant, to be ready to receive the Lord who is coming. The first reading says God is “father” and “redeemer”. Nobody is so enslaved by sin that he cannot be freed and “redeemed”. Today’s gospel tells us that the “redeemer” comes, but we have to be vigilant. Those who sleep will remain slaves to sin, and will not be ransomed. The second reading is also on this theme: the Christians of Corinth are held up to us as examples of vigilance.
Entrance Antiphon Ps25:1-3
To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame.
Collect
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. Through our Lord. .
FIRST READING
”O that you would rend the heavens and come down.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 63:16d-17;64:13b-8)
You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemed from old is your name. O Lord, why do you make us err from your ways and harden our heart, so that we do not fear you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. O that you would tear the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence! You came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet him that joyfully works righteousness, those that remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one that calls upon your name, that bestirs himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquities. Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 80:2ac and 3b. 15-16a.18-19 (R. 4)
R/. O God, bring us back; Let your face shine on us, and we shall be shaved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
enthroned on the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse up your might and come to save us. R.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore;
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
The vine your right hand has planted. R.
May your hand be on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have confirmed as your own.
And we shall never forsake you again;
Give us life that we may call upon your name. R.
SECOND READING
We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians1:3-9)
Brethren: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA Psalm 85:7
Alleluia. Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and grant us your salvation. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Watch therefore—for you do not know when the master of the house will come.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 13:33-37)
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the door keeper to be on the watch. Watch therefore — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer of the Faithful
Stay awake
PRIEST: My brothers and sisters, God our Father wants us to be sensitive to his nearness at all times. Let us pray today that during this season of Advent, we may always stay spiritually awake, conscious of his abiding love for us
READER:
For the Church and her leaders, (Pause), that they may be more and more aware of their unique mission in our world, and so strive to serve mankind by reflecting Christ in all they say and do. (pause) We pray to the Lord
For world peace. (pause). That those in charge of political affairs may always be conscious that true justice is based on man’s dignity, whatever his race, colour, creed or social position. (Pause) ,We pray to the Lord.
For those who are oppressed because of what they believe, (pause) that, in all the trials which befall them, they may never lose faith and trust in God’s loving care for them as a Father (pause) .We pray to the Lord
For an increase of faith in our community, (Pause). That we may put our trust in God our Father, so that the Lord Jesus may find us watching and ready, at his Second Coming. (Pause) We pray to the Lord
Lord hear our prayer we pray Oh Lord.
We pray to the Lord, in silence, for our own needs.
PRIEST: Father, we make our prayer to you in Advent, that by staying awake in faith and love every moment of our lives, we may prepare ourselves for the Second Coming of the Lord.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Today’s Reflection
The season of Advent is a period of preparation for the birth of the Messiah. It has four Sundays. The new liturgical year begins in the church. We are called to prepare for the coming of the Lord. It is certain that the Lord is coming but the day or the hour is not known.
In the gospel passage of today, Christ tells us to be watchful and alert. We are to stay awake and watch for his coming. We should live in such a way that when he comes, he should not find us wanting. He should find us doing what he commanded us to be doing: loving God and loving one another; living holy/ righteous lives. May he meet us doing our Christian duty when he comes. May he meet us ready to welcome him whenever he comes, since he will come “like a thief in the night”.
Personal Devotional,
MY SPIRITUAL CHECK-UP IN ADVENT
There is no better time than now to have a spiritual cheek-up for our souls as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord this Advent Season. The idea behind this exercise is to re-examine ourselves, and make amends with God and put ourselves alright with Him.
When you go through this, remember it is designed to expose grey areas in our souls. This SPIRITUAL CHECK-UP IS ABSOLUTELY FREE unlike your medical cheek-up.
This exercise will be within the four Sundays of Advent, kindly avail yourself and your family of this opportunity.
USE THE FOLLOWING LISTS AS GUIDE TO EXAMINE YOUR LIFE BEFORE THE LORD. Please, take each one slowly and meditate on it carefully.
1. CHEATING – Did you get anything from anyone unfairly?
Does someone know or suspect that you cheated to pass an important test or exam? Did you rob someone of their fair share of praise or pay for a job? (Jas. 5:1-4; Mal. 3:5; Deut. 24:14-15; Jer. 22:13; Job 31:13
2. HINDRANCE – Have you destroyed another’s confidence in you by needlessly taking up their time? Have you prevented them from doing God’s work for yourself? (Eph. 5:16)
3. HYPOCRISY- Did the life you lived before some people make all you said of Christ and His gospel a lie? Have you said one thing and done another? Were others turned from God by your life that declared to them your hypocrisy? (Matt. 6:5-6; 7:3-5; 23:28; Rev. 3:15-16)
4. STEALING – Can you remember taking money for property that was not yours? Did you steal from neighbors, relatives, shops or stores, school or home? (Ex. 20:15; Eph. 4:
DIAGNOSIS
If the Holy Spirit shows us our sin, we must go back to the cross where the Lord first met us. We see the Lord Jesus once crucified – for that sin – bearing our penalty. Our sin nails Jesus to the cross all over again. We tear open His wounds and make His redemption a mockery.
Walk out into the light of reality. Drop your self-deceit and face this sin for what it really is. Turn from it, from your heart. Take sides with God against it,- resolve in your heart NEVER to go back into that sin again.
MEDICATION OR SURGERY NEEDED?
Note that, “If we confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”(1 Jn. 1:9) Will you go to your gracious and loving Father as a little child and humbly ask His forgiveness?
The LORD is merciful and gracious…He has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; “For as the heaven is above the earth, so great is His mercy towards them that fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps. 103:12)
Let Us Pray (Please go down on your kneels and pray for forgiveness)
“Oh God, You know my foolishness, and my sin is not concealed from You…please pardon my iniquity, for it is great…If you, Lord, would mark iniquities, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” (Ps. 69:5; 25:11; 130:3-4) look with pity on me, your humble servant, and have mercy in Jesus name.
Mary my dearest mother pray to Jesus for me.