e20141130_advent01b

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AMBUHAYST PAULS MEDIA pastoral ministry issalette




Year 28 No. 22 1st Sunday of Advent (B) — Violet November 30, 2014

SUNDAY • TV MARIA • 8:30AM • 3:30PM • 8:00PMDream Satellite Ch 1 • Destiny Cable Ch 94 • Sky Cable Ch 160

W atch is repeated today, not just once, but thrice!

To find four words (vv. 33, 34, 35, 37) in a very short Marcan reading, we cannot ignore its insistence. It must be the tone that shapes our Advent engagements and musings as Christmas ushers in.

The coming of the Son of Man is the context of Jesus’ reminder (cf. Mk 13:26). In the Book of Daniel, the coming of the Son of Man is a time when the Messiah is going to manifest his great power and glory (cf. Dn 7:13), and this means the time when all our longings, hunger, restlessness, thirst, and suffering will be ended. For the Messiah who comes is a righteous one; he will restore all into proper relations. Eden will dawn again.

That is why we have to watch for things that make us see important things in life. Lately, I was in a wake of the brother of my group mate in our Bible study. In our vigil time, I learned from one of the siblings, the oldest of all, that the deceased is their youngest at 47. The oldest sibling, in his senior years, began to share that before leaving for the States, he hugged tightly his youngest brother thinking that this was the last of their meeting as the former was diagnosed with a terminal disease. It was painful for him to know that his youngest brother passed on to another life ahead of him. He intimates that when one comes face to face with the precariousness of life, with danger of death, one begins

Watching While Eagerly Waiting

to gradually shed off all the not so essential in life; one holds on to relationships with loved ones and much more with the Beloved.

Jesus’ warning to watch, therefore, is to make us realize the values and implications of the coming of the Son of Man. With it is associated his concern for our life and the betterment of our lives. In fact, he reminds us that this is a life that will continue even after our life here on earth.

Advent reminds us of Jesus becoming man but it also brings in the hope of the second coming of Jesus when he brings into completion what his resurrection has brought forth.

S t . Pau l in the Second Reading assures us that if our watchfulness leads us into the right choices, it is not going to be difficult for us. Paul assures the Corinthians that they “were not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1 Cor 1:7). Why? Because Christ enriched them. That will also be true of us. He is the true Messiah who will keep us firm to the end,

irreproachable on the day of our Lord (cf. 1 Cor 1:8).

The Old Testament prophets and shepherds had this gift of seeing. Roeh is a word that comes from the Hebrew verb, raah, to see, and refers to both prophet and shepherd. The shepherd watches well the herd, taking each one with care because the sheep is either his own or is precious to the Master who has entrusted it to him. The prophet sees beyond the consequences of one’s choices because he can glean from the past experience the learnings that were borne out of a lasting relationship (covenant) with God (YHWH). So as we carefully watch our actions, we also pray with Isaiah who invokes the Lord to return for the sake of the Lord’s servants, “the tribes of your heritage” (cf. Is 63:17b). Our Lord is the greatest of all prophets, and also the Good Shepherd who with his own blood has come to establish once again the people who feel God’s presence in their midst. The Lord has returned, thus, a responsive people have also returned to the God!

Advent makes us see this liminal period when the Divine meets the human, when we feel the salvific action of God yet hopeful for its full completion when Jesus comes again. Let our waiting, our watchful actions become our Advent prayers of hope.

— Bro. Hansel B. Mapayo, SSP

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THE INTRODUCTORY RITES

Entrance Antiphon[Ps 25 (24):1-3](Recited when there is no opening song)

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.

Lighting of the Advent candle

The lighting of the first candle of the Advent wreath may be made after the entrance song, with the following or similar prayer:

Father, as we begin our Advent pilgrimage, we light a candle of hope. Grant us the courage to hope: hope for your presence, hope for your peace, hope for your promise. Amen.

Greeting(The sign of the cross is made here)

P — The Lord be with you.All — And with your spirit.

Introduction(May be read using these or other similar words)

P — The first Sunday of Advent begins a new liturgical year. Advent means “coming”—the coming of the Lord Jesus. Advent looks back to the past and prepares us for the feast of Christmas which commemorates Jesus’ first coming as man among us. Advent highlights the present and reminds us of the varied ways by which Jesus comes into our lives. Advent finally points to the future: the glorious coming of Christ at the end of the age.

May we stand ready so that when the Lord comes our hearts are wide open to receive him.

Penitential Act

P — In the Eucharist we proclaim the Lord’s death and resurrection until his coming in glory. How do we prepare and keep watch for his coming? Let us examine ourselves. (Pause)

P — Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end of our lives and of all earthly reality: Lord, have mercy.All — Lord, have mercy.

P — Lord Jesus, you leave us in charge of particular tasks and command us to keep watch at your return: Christ, have mercy.All — Christ, have mercy.

P — Lord Jesus, you will return in glory at the end of time, and all things will be made new: Lord, have mercy.All — Lord, have mercy.

P — May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.All — Amen.

(During Advent, the Gloria is omitted.)

Collect

P — Let us pray. (Pause)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, one God, for ever and ever.All — Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading [Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7[ (Sit)

Isaiah expresses the great longing of the people for the Lord: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!” We share the same sentiments during this season of Advent.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

YOU, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever.

Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old.

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him.

Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.

There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.

Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.

— The word of the LordAll — Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 80)

R — Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

1 . O shepherd of Israel , hearken,/ from your throne upon the cher ubim, shine forth./ Rouse your power,/ and come to save us. (R)

2. Once again, O Lord of hosts,/ look down from heaven, and see;/ take care of this vine,/ and protect what your right hand has planted,/ the son of man whom you yourself made strong. (R)

3. May your help be with the man of your right hand,/ with the son of man whom you yourself made strong./ Then we will no more withdraw from you;/ give us new life, and we will call upon your name. (R)

Second Reading (1 Cor 1:3-9)

The words of the apostle Paul are an excellent reminder during this season when we reflect on the Lord’s coming into our lives.

R. JacobLento

Gm /F

Lord, make us turn to you,

3 Eb Gm

let us see your face and

/F Eb

we shall be saved.

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A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians BROTHERS AND SISTERS:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.— The word of the Lord.All — Thanks be to God.

Alleluia [Ps 85:8] (Stand)

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

Gospel (Mk 13:33-37)

P — A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.All — Glory to you, O Lord.

JESUS SAID to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.

“It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’ ”

— The Gospel of the Lord.All — Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily (Sit)

Profession of Faith (Stand)

All — I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son

of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,(at the words that follow up to and including and became man, all bow)

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

Fo r ou r s ake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suf fered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I bel ieve in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of the Faithful

P — Christ the Lord asks us to be watchful and awake for his coming into our lives. In need of his grace, we pray to the Father:R — Lord, make us your faithful people.C — May the Pope, the bishops, and the leaders of our Christian communities watch over the Church and keep the God’s people ever ready for the Lord’s coming. We pray: (R)C — May civil leaders carry out their tasks with love and responsibility, l ike faithful servants awaiting the Master’s return, so that when he comes they will receive the unfading crown of glory. We pray: (R)C — May peace visit the hearts and homes of all families this Advent season, and may our families be seedbeds of faith and bearers of the Good News of Christ. We pray: (R)C — May consecrated men and women continue to be inspired by what St. Paul tells us today:

“He will keep you firm until the end, irreproachable on the day of the Lord Jesus.” We pray: (R)

C — May our family members, relatives, and friends who have died experience everlasting joy in the company of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray: (R)P — Lord, we eagerly wait for the coming of your Son. Strengthen us by the inspiration of the Spirit, and make us watchful and prayerful. You who live and reign for ever and ever.All — Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Presentation of the Gifts

(Stand)P — Pray, brethren…All — May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his holy Church.

Prayer over the Offerings

P — Accept, we pray, O Lord, these of fer ings we make, gathered from among your gifts to us, and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below gain for us the prize of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.All — Amen.

Preface I of Advent

P — The Lord be with you.All — And with your spirit.P — Lift up your hearts.All — We lift them up to the Lord.P — Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.All — It is right and just.

P — It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eter nal God, through Christ our Lord.

For he assumed at his first coming the lowliness of human flesh, and so fulfilled the design you formed long ago, and opened for us the way to eternal salvation, that, when he comes again in glory and majesty and all is at last made manifest, we who watch for that day may inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope.

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PAPAL VISIT OF POPE FRANCIS TO THE PHILIPPINESJanuary 15-19, 2015

Excerpt from the Book The Life and Challengesof Pope Francis by Saverio Gaeta

A Cardinal among the PeopleHis episcopal style was from the very beginning interwoven with humility

and availability. The diocesan priests knew his direct telephone number and knew that they could call him at whatever hour of the day or night. If he came to know of some problem or illness of theirs, he got to work to resolve the situation as best he could. They tell that occasionally he spent the night at the bedside of some pastor gravely ill to assist him personally. And there were the constant visits to the churches placed under his jurisdiction to encourage the priests and make them feel the closeness of the Bishop.

In the consistory of February 21, 2001 Archbishop Bergoglio was made Cardinal by John Paul II and, as with every one given the cardinalship, he received the title of a church in Rome, that of St. Robert Bellarmine. On such occasion he squelched the request of many of his co-nationalists who had expressed the intention of coming to the Vatican to pay him homage. It was the culminating moment of the terrible economic crisis which led Argentina to financial default and Bergoglio asked them not to spend money for an airplane ticket to Rome, but rather to give it to the poor.

Even as a Cardinal, he never gave into the worldliness or privileges that normally accompany such a dignity. Instead of moving into the Archbishop’s residence, he preferred to stay in the two rooms where he made use of a stove for heat, preparing his supper by himself. And, instead of the delegated car with its driver, he preferred the public buses and the metro where anyone could talk with him (“I almost always take the metro for its rapidity, however I prefer even more the bus because I enjoy looking at the street,” he recounted.) Even his wardrobe was the same as before: a normal clergyman suit of a good city parish priest. He had the ceremonial robe of the Cardinal altered by his sister using instead one of his predecessor’s.

And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory, as without end we acclaim:All — Holy, holy, holy... (Kneel)

Acclamation (Stand)

All — When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

COMMUNION RITEThe Lord’s Prayer

All — Our Father…P — Deliver us, Lord…All — For the kingdom, the power, and the glor y are yours, now and for ever.

Invitation to Peace

Invitation to Communion(Kneel)

P — Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.All — Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Communion Antiphon[Ps 85 (84):13]

The Lord will bestow his bounty, and our earth shall yield its increase.

National Prayer for the Papal Visit

P — God of mercy and compas-sion, we come to you in our need and lift up to you our nation as we prepare for the apostolic visit of Pope Francis. We pray: R — Bless your Church, Lord!1. That we may be faithful to the Pope, the Vicar of Christ on earth: (R) 2. That we may be eager to meet and listen to Pope Francis: (R) 3. That we may be compassionate with the poor and the needy: (R)4. That we may be merciful with the weak and the lost: (R)5. That we may humbly confess our sins and return to God: (R)6. That we may frequently and devoutly receive Holy Com-munion: (R)

P — Let us pray. God our Father, we are all your

children. Make of us a nation of mercy and compassion eager to meet Pope Francis. Make us a nation of holiness and heroism through Christ our Lord.All — Amen.

Prayer after Communion(Stand)

P — Let us pray. (Pause)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.All — Amen.

CONCLUDING RITES

P — The Lord be with you.All — And with your spirit.

Solemn Blessing

P — Bow down for the blessing. (Pause)

M a y t h e a l m i g h t y a n d merciful God, by whose grace

you have placed your faith in the First Coming of his Only Begotten Son and yearn for his coming again, sanctify you by the radiance of Christ’s Advent and enrich you with his blessing.All — Amen.

P — As you run the race of this present life, may he make you firm in faith, joyful in hope and active in charity.All — Amen.

P — So that, rejoicing now with devotion at the Redeemer’s coming in the flesh, you may be endowed with the rich reward of eternal life when he comes again in majesty.All — Amen.

P — And may the blessing of the almighty God, the Father, and the Son, (†) and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever.All — Amen.

Dismissal

P — Go in peace. Stay watchful and alert for the Lord’s coming. All — Thanks be to God.

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