Bishop
Feast Day: Sunday
Liturgical color: Purple
Entrance chant
The Lord is coming soon, O people of Zion, to save the nations. He will utter his mighty voice, and your hearts will rejoice.
Collect
Almighty and loving God, do not let us be so absorbed in earthly affairs that we are no longer eager to welcome your Son, but teach us to desire heavenly things, so that we may enjoy eternal happiness with him. You are God, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First Reading: Is 11, 1-10
“The Lord judges the poor with righteousness.”
From the book of the prophet Isaiah.
On that day a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse, and a bud will grow from his roots. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, and he will be filled with the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what his eyes see, nor decide by what his ears hear. But with righteousness he will judge the poor, and with equity he will defend the humble of the earth. He will strike down the oppressor with his word, and with his voice he will slay the wicked. He will put righteousness to his waist and faithfulness to his girdle.
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat, and the calf and the lion and the young goat together; and a little child will lead them. The cow and the bear will feed together, and their young will lie down together; the lion and the ox will eat straw. The nursing child will play near the viper’s den, and the weaned child will put his hand into the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will call upon him, and his grave will be glorified.
That is the word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm : Ps 71:2. 7-8. 12-13. 17
Response: Righteousness and abundant peace will flourish during his reign (v. 7).
Chant: Lord, give wise judgment to the king, and righteousness to the king’s son, that he may judge your people with righteousness, and the poor with equity.
Verse: Righteousness and abundant peace will flourish during his reign, until the moon no longer gives its light. And he will have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
For he will rescue the poor from the mighty, and the afflicted and those who have no helper. He will have compassion on the weak and needy, and save the lives of the needy.
Chant: Blessed be his name forever, for his name endures like the sun. Through him all the tribes of the earth will be blessed, and all the nations will praise him.
Second Reading: Rom 15:4-9
“Christ saves all people.”
Excerpt from the letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Romans.
Dear brothers and sisters, these things were written for our instruction, so that through the strength and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and comfort grant you to live in sympathy with one another, following Christ Jesus, so that with one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, welcome one another, just as Christ welcomed you, in order to bring glory to God. For we tell you that Christ Jesus became a servant of the circumcised to show the truth of God, confirming the promises made to the patriarchs. But the Gentiles worship God because of his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will proclaim you, O Lord, and I will praise your name among the Gentiles.”
That is the word of the Lord.
Alleluia : Luke 3, 4. 6
Alleluia, alleluia! – Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. – Alleluia.
Gospel: Mt 3, 1-12
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was the one the prophet Isaiah had foretold: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
For John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem and all Judea and the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Seeing a crowd of Pharisees and scribes coming to be baptized, John said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Do good deeds worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able even to raise up children to Abraham from even the stones. Behold, the axe is already laid at the root of the tree; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance. But he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his wheat and gather it into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
That is the word of the Lord.
Prayer of the Faithful
Celebrant : Dear brothers and sisters! From his preaching to his way of dressing, John the Baptist called for repentance, “ Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near . We must change everything that prevents us from receiving God’s coming, depending on each person’s own obstacles that need to be converted. So let us pray to God for help:
1. “On that day the root of Jesse stood up as a banner for the nations.” May the Shepherds become a source of peace, a fountain of love and a scale of justice, so that through them all people may recognize that God loves mankind so much that He sent His only Son to pitch His tent among mankind.
2. “Christ saves all people”,- May believers not rely on being Christians with the proof of Baptism to meet God, but must know how to fill the deep gaps that separate love and forgiveness so that God can come to their hearts.
3. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” – May the call of St. John the Baptist be accepted by young people today, so that the teachings of the Church may shape, correct and perfect them, helping them to always be ready and blameless on the day of the Lord’s coming.
4. “Do good deeds worthy of repentance”, – May each person in our parish quickly come to reconcile with God and others in the confessional, to be closely united with Jesus in the Eucharist.
Celebrant: Father, we are waiting for Jesus to return to earth for the second time. Please help us to welcome Him with a change of perspective, loving what is upright and just, and hating what is hypocritical and crooked, so that we can become perfect people as You desire. We ask this through Christ…
Prayer over the offerings
Lord, please accept our offerings and our humble prayers. We have no merit, but only look to your mercy for help. We pray…
Preface of Advent I
Communion song
Arise, O Jerusalem! Stand on high and look: God brings you joy.
Prayer after communion
Lord, you have made us partakers of the holy mystery and have nourished us with the bread of heaven. Teach us now, that we may always consider earthly realities with wisdom and with a keen eye for the eternal realities of heaven. We pray to you…
Reflection
The Messianic Era – Second Sunday of Advent 2022 – Year A – Archbishop Giuse Vu Van Thien
Finding a Way – Second Sunday of Advent – Year A – Archbishop Giuse Vu Van Thien
Commentary on the Word of God – Second Sunday of Advent – Year A – Fr. Ignatius Ho Thong