First Sunday of Advent 2022

Readings For The Day

First Reading Is 2: 1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122: 1-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Because of my brothers and friends I will say, "Peace be within you!" Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Second Reading Rom 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Gospel Acclamation Ps 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia. Show us Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

Initial Thoughts & Impressions

The Roman Missal, Third Typical Edition (First Sunday of Advent)

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 Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

The Roman Missal, Third Typical Edition First Sunday of Advent

May these mysteries, O Lord,

in which we have participated,

profit us, we pray,

for even now, as we walk amid passing things,

you teach us by them to love the things of heaven

and hold fast to what endures.

Through Christ our Lord.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Everywhere you look & according to every secular source, we have entered the “holiday season.” How is that even possible when we are just now starting the 1st week in advent?

The secular temptation is to go out throughout the holiday season & enrich the retailers. When the world tells we should be celebrating the holidays, the church is telling us we should prepare ourselves, specifically, our souls for the coming of Jesus! Jesus has come, & Jesus will come.

Today’s gospel reminds as that eating & drinking, weddings, work & various other activities we often consider important are in fact not important@ all when compared with the coming of our lord Jesus Christ.in fact, the first two weeks of advent are meant to remind as that Christ will come again to judge the living & the dead.

Our diligence in right living, in Christian living should be constant & w/o giving up. Diligence

Preparation & presents take precedence over prayer/ jingle bells over Jesu/ Silver & gold over the treasures of heaven

To orientate our hearts to the reality that in my own life Jesus must increase, and I must decrease so it is no longer I who live but Jesus who lives in me.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Researched Material

Roman Missal -

Bulleted Outline

Busy, Busy, Busy

When I run into someone I haven’t seen for a while and ask them how they’ve been, I inevitably get the same answer I usually give others with the same question. “I’m busy”, or “it’s been crazy.”

In a world of modern conveniences, how can this be???

We have modern plumbing.

No need to pump it out of a well.

We don’t have to dig and construct out houses.

We have machines that wash our clothes and dishes.

Robots that vacuum our homes.

Hot Water – Cooking Devices of all sorts.

Cars that take us many miles in minutes – not hours or days.

AND YET WE ARE BUSY!!!

“Holiday Season”

Now we have entered what the secular world considers “The Holiday Season.”

Lights are going up earlier than ever & it’s not uncommon to see Halloween decorations up with Christmas Decorations in the stores.

All designed to lure us into thinking of how we will be busy BUYING GIFTS – CARDS – DECORATIONS – BAKING & FOOD ITEMS

To make us busier.

BUT The Church reminds us that this is not the Holiday Season, BUT the ADVENT SEASON!

A time to evaluate whether or not we are busy with the right things.

Advent Season

Advent is a time of preparation, preparing ourselves to receive The Gift of Gifts that has already been presented in CHRIST JESUS

WHO WILL COME AGAIN.

It’s a reminder of the belief we state in the creed that Jesus Christ will com again to judge the living and the dead.

Advent is a time to determine if we have been busy with the right things.

Specifically, this First Week of Advent reminds us of the need to “Stay Awake! For You Do Not Know on Which Day Your Lord Will Come.”

Christ Will Come Again

•Jesus in the Gospel today Emphasizes the need to be ready for His return.

•He issued that warning nearly 2,000 Years ago, in the Jewish reckoning that’s about 50 generations or more of people who have come & have been called by Christ from this world.

•No one had an expiration date stamped on their forehead when they entered this world,

•AND IN CHRIST, WE HAVE NO EXPIRATION DATE!!!

•And yet Jesus warns us not to be busy only with the things of this world, “the daily grind,” or even our celebrations.

•These are necessary, yes, but only if we have busied ourselves with Love of God & Love of Others.

Self - Evaluation

So, Advent calls us to evaluate, “How have we lived out this eternal life on earth gifted – Graced To Us – in Christ???

St. Paul reminds us, “it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

Each passing day draws us closer to “The End,” but more specifically to “Our Individual End.”

Have we thrown off the works of darkness & put on the armor of light?

Have we put on Christ?

That’s the reality that occurred at Baptism!!! Have we treasured that gift of grace properly?

TURNING

If we have fallen short, we don’t despair! We call for help as we do in today’s opening prayer.

• “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.”

Relying on God, we RECOMMIT ourselves concentrate “busy ourselves” with the work of Jesus.

Rejecting the wrong.

Engaging the Holy; in Sacrament & Prayer!

Strengthened to Bring Jesus not only into our Hearts but make Him present in the World!

Participating In These Mysteries

We Celebrate Advent to Evaluate & Renew our commitment to GOD!!!

That’s why the Mass is primary to our ADVENT RENEWAL!!!

The prayer after Communion today captures this beautifully.

May these mysteries, O Lord,

in which we have participated,The celebration of the WORD & EUCHARIST

profit us, we pray, PROVIDE THE GRACE NECESSARY

for even now, as we walk amid passing things,

you teach us by them to love the things of heaven

and hold fast to what endures.