Today's Gospel Reading - Sunday, December 2, 2012 with Reflection

Enter the first Sunday of Advent with great hope in your heart!

1^ST READING - Jeremiah 33:14-16

P S A L M - Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

4 Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and for you I wait all the day. (R) 8 Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R) 10 All the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. 14The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. (R)

2^ND READING - 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Show us, Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation.

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

25 Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” 34 “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise 35 like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.36 Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

SABBATH

HIS WORD IS HIS BOND “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel…” Jeremiah 33:14 I was surprised by a portion of a showbiz-oriented program I chanced upon. Celebrity guests were attached to a lie detector while they were being asked questions. What surprised me more is when the guest celebrity said, “It’s truly a joy and honor for me to be invited to this portion of your program.” That struck me as odd. If I needed to be attached to a lie detector, that means my words alone simply cannot be trusted. That means I do not have the confidence of my questioners. What is honorable in that? Yes, I know it’s a showbiz scheme to attract viewers, but could that be also an unconscious indication of the state of our relationships nowadays? We can no longer talk with another on the strength of bare words. We can only be assured when the other is attached to a lie detector. Today we enter into the season of Advent, a season of joy and confidence for the coming birth of the promised Messiah. I was struck by the words of today’s First Reading: “The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel.” Advent joy hinges upon the reliability of that promise. God need not be attached to a lie detector. He need not be asked to sign an advanced agreement that He would be true to His words. His word is His bond. In His words, we rest assured. Fr. Joel Jason REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are my words trustworthy? Do I enjoy confidence from others with my fulfilled promises? Advent is upon us because Your words are constant and trustworthy. May I share in bringing Advent joy to others. Amen. Blessed Rafael Chylinski, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.