CONTRIBUTED BY FATHER PAUL S. VOISIN, C.R. Father Paul is a Waterloo native, was ordained to the priesthood as a Resurrectionist on May 14, 1977. He has served in pastoral ministry in Kitchener and Brantford, Ontario, ed- ucation and pastoral ministry in La Paz, and formation and pastoral ministry in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He served as Provincial Superior of the Ontario-Kentucky Province from 2005 to 2008 and the Vicar General of the Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda, and Rec- tor of St. Theresa’s Cathedral from 2008 to 2017. He is presently the Superior General of the Congregation of the Resurrection in Rome, Italy.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 10, 2017

GATHERING TIME (10-15 Minutes) Introduction to the Word: In the world of reality television there are many programs that involve change in people’s lives. They are ‘makeover’ shows, some of them involving a person’s appearance (hair, makeup and clothing), while others deal with more weighty realities like alcohol and drug abuse (interventions) and hoarders. The desired result is that at the end of the program you see a new person – they now look attractive and feel attractive, they now have a grip on a reality of abuse and negative behaviour. When some programs have done a follow up, you find many people who have kept up their appearance, have kept away from the destructive behaviour, and others who have returned to their old ways. The change was just too great, and they lost hope and belief in their ability to change their lives. It may have been a temporary ‘high’ or ‘fix,’ but it was not long-lasting. The season of Advent, in some ways, is also a time for a makeover, but not of something superficial—a makeover of the heart. In Advent we are called to “make straight the paths,” so that the grace of God will allow the fullness of God’s life to be ours, so that when we come to the celebration of the Feast of Christmas we are a new creation.

Warm-up Activity: Have you ever watched any of these programs I have mentioned? What do you remember most about the transformation (temporary or long-lasting) of the person? How did you perceive them feeling about the transformation? How did you feel in seeing that transformation? Reflect and share with the group. Advent is about spiritual change and transformation, so how have you experienced – in the past – a change or transformation in your life during an Advent journey? How long did it last? What graces are you experiencing now because of that previous Advent?

1 The Table of the Word

I once saw a cartoon with two panels. In the first was a man at a podium asking, “Who wants change?” Every hand was up! In the second panel the same man asked, “Who wants to change?” Not one hand was raised! Advent is a time of change, if we are willing to take a risk. Too often, in our human condition, we would prefer what we know, even though it is not ideal or perfect or what we really want. But we are held back by fear and doubt that the future can and will be better. We may doubt our ability, or the love and grace of God. We may see this step forward meaning that we have to admit other things we have said and done that we may want to change. For some of us, it is just too much! This Advent God is offering us an opportunity to change – in conformity with His will, with His teaching and His way. His grace is with us, and His light shines more brightly in and through us if we accept His invitation. Just as the light of the Advent wreath increases, so does God’s grace and our possibility for change, if we take the risk.

Penitential Rite: In this time of preparation to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus, let us examine our lives and ask for the Lord’s pardon and strength. Lord Jesus, help us to hear your call during this Advent season Lord, have mercy Christ Jesus, may we open our ears to hear your call, and have the courage to respond . Christ, have mercy Lord Jesus, we wish not only to believe more in you, but to believe that you believe in us. Lord, have mercy

Let us pray:

Lord of new beginnings, grant us your abundant grace in this Advent season, as we prepare ourselves spiritually to celebrate the birth of your Son, Jesus. Give us courage and perseverance to change that which separates us from you, and from one another. May this truly be a season of grace for us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION TIME (As Christians we believe that the WORD of God we hear proclaimed each Sunday is an empowering Word, and that God is present in the Word proclaimed. This is the Word that God wants us to hear today. The dynamic of the Small Christian Community, namely, reflecting on our life-story within the context of this Word, and sharing the insights of these reflections, is such that God’s Spirit becomes present, and the gifts of the Spirit are experienced as empowering and life-giving.) 2 FIRST READING: (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11) “Console my people, console them,” says your God. “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.” A voice cries, “Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God.” Here is the Lord God coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING: (2 Peter 3:8-14) There is one thing, my friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, “a day” can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not being slow to carry out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burned up. Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL: (Mark 1:1-8) A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark. Glory to you, O Lord. The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way. A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight, and so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptized by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, “Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

(Allow two minutes for quiet and for a brief reflection)

3 COMMENTARY: The First Reading, from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, gives a glimmer of hope to the people of God. The Israelites, after years of persecution and slavery in Babylon, were now being promised a new life in God. They will be restored as children of God, children of the covenant. The images that Isaiah uses gave them hope - promises of “comfort”, “heralding of glad tidings”, God’s power and protection, the new life with a “shepherd” who will “feed his flock”, and “in his arms he gathers the lambs.” What an interjection of good news into the sadness of a people who had fallen out of grace with God. But there, too, Isaiah sets down a condition: “A voice cries out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley should be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country a broad valley.” This future that awaits them comes at a price, a setting of their hearts on the ways of God, a profound inner transformation of their minds and hearts. These changes in the landscape mirror those significant changes in their lives.

In the Second Reading, Peter speaks of “new heavens and a new earth.” God will renew His people. Last week, in the Second Reading, it was obvious that the early Christians were convinced that Jesus would return in glory during their lifetime. Peter tells the people to remain vigilant as “the day of the Lord” will come when they least expect. He encourages them to live good and holy lives, “without spot or blemish.” Once again, great promises, but with a price. Their lives must reflect the life of Jesus. They are His followers, His dear ones, His chosen. They cannot carry on as they did before their conversion to Jesus, but this decision to follow Jesus and be baptized requires a change in their life, not a cosmetic or superficial change, but a deep and lasting change that God’s grace can give them. The Good News continues for those who respond to God’s love. Our gospel begins by echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah and the prophets (including John the Baptist and culminating in Jesus, God-made-human), have come to call us back to the Father, back to the covenant, back to friendship with God. The call of John is not an easy one, but a great challenge, if we take it seriously. Only each one of us can identify and tackle those paths that need to be altered during our Advent journey. Each one of us knows our sins and what keeps us from union with God and harmony with one another. This gospel gives us a special opportunity to have faith in that power of God. John the Baptist realizes who he is in the plan of God. With humility, he fulfills faithfully the mission entrusted to him. He kept telling the people that he was not the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for. This Advent we can and should share that same humility and realize how great is God’s power, if we are open to it, and if we realize our mission, and our role in the history of salvation – our own and that of the whole world. John was filled with courage, knowing that he was doing God’s will, and that through his faithfulness that will would be revealed in a fuller way. This is the spirit that should animate us in our Advent 2017, the beginning of a new liturgical year. The new life that God is offering us is in our grasp. Jesus has saved us and lifted us up to be people who will make a difference. First, however, we must become different people, in union with Jesus Christ. These paths that we are called to travel, and to make straight, are before us, if we accept His invitation to make of this Advent a time of grace, of renewal, and of conversion.

(Allow about 5 – 10 minutes for the participants to react to the Commentary to identify a newly discovered insight or idea.)

4 Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

1. “Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11) The call of Isaiah is a call to each of us during this Advent. a) What is “the wilderness” that I find myself in this Advent? b) What am I willing to do, with God’s help, to get myself out of this wilderness? c) What particular grace am I asking for this Advent?

2. “Do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace” (2 Peter 3:8-14) Any change in life is a struggle. However, we are not acting alone. God is with us. a) How has my experience of God’s grace helped me to believe that I can live a life “without spot or strain”? b) How have I found peace, in the past, through this grace of God in me? c) What role do I play in this “new heaven and new earth”?

3. “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark 1:1-8) Each Advent we hear the same call, but each Advent our “path” is unique and different. We may feel that we have been this way before, but a lot has happened since Advent 2016, and it is a new path, a new way, and a new beginning. a) What is the “path” that I must make “straight” this Advent? (Like question 1, a and b.) b) Can I identify with the humility of John the Baptist, in my relationship with the Lord Jesus?

CARING - PRAYING TIME 1. Word for the Week: “Prepare the way”

2. Suggestions for the Week: With this Second Week of Advent, we must take seriously this time of grace, as before we know it, it will be December 25. The material preparations for Christmas are probably already well advanced in our homes and families, with decorations and invitations and menu planning. Now, what about our spiritual preparation? In these Advent liturgies, the Church provides for us a way of spiritual preparation. We must be willing to risk that invitation of God and “Prepare the way”. If you are already familiar with the Examen of Consciousness, use it in a particular way in Advent to look at your “wilderness”, your “path”, and how to make it “straight”. If you are not familiar with the Consciousness Examen, a helpful Ignatian tool, please go to ‘Examen of Consciousness’ online, and you will see the name of Fr. George Aschenbrenner S.J., who so skilfully articulated this spiritual exercise. YouTube also has these Ignatian tools.

3. Intercessions: Let us bring our prayers and intentions to the Lord with the response: May we prepare your way, O Lord.

5 That this season of Advent may be a time of renewal and new life for us, and our Parish communities, we pray to the Lord ...

That, through God’s grace, we may identify the “wilderness” within ourselves, and around us, we pray to the Lord …

That we may have the courage to “make straight” the paths in our lives that are crooked, or filled with detours, we pray to the Lord …

That we may all take seriously the need for spiritual preparations during this Advent journey, we pray to the Lord …

That all who will have a Christmas season without the presence of a deceased loved one, will find consolation in their presence with the Risen Lord, we pray to the Lord …

That the light of Christ will grow in us each day of this season, so that – like our Advent wreath – we may shine forth for all the world to see, we pray to the Lord …

And how can we help you in prayer this week?

Let us pray: Lord God, we hear your call, we hear your call through the Prophet Isaiah, through John the Baptist, and through your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to heed that call, with the help of your love and your grace, that we may make of this Advent a season of new life and renewal, so we may worthily celebrate the birth of our Saviour, your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

With hands and hearts united in gratitude for God’s favours on us today, we pray that all those in our influence be moved to be open to your Word and your Spirit, while we say as one, OUR FATHER …

Celebrating the Word, Resurrection Ministries of the Congregation of the Resurrection Ontario-Kentucky Province (including the former Resurrection Centre), 265 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G7. (Celebrating the Word was founded by Father Frank Ruetz, C.R., now deceased). For information or subscriptions: E-mail [email protected] website: www.resurrectionists.ca The Scripture version used in this commentary is the New Revised Standard Version (copyrighted by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA).

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