A ROYAL HIGHWAY IN OUR HEARTS

Readings for Sunday, December 5, 2021

Second Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 6

it-Tieni Ħadd tal-Avvent

 

 Reading 1              Baruch 5:1-9

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship. Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God. Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones. For God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God. The forests and every fragrant kind of tree have overshadowed Israel at God’s command; for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company

QARI 1             mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Baruk 5:1-9

Neħħi minn fuqek, Ġerusalemm, ilbies il-vistu u n-niket tiegħek, u ilbes għal dejjem id-dija tal-glorja ta’ Alla. Ilbes mantar il-ġustizzja ta’ Alla, qiegħed fuq rasek id-dijadema tal-glorja ta’ Alla ta’ dejjem. Għax Alla għad juri sbuħitek lid-dinja taħt ix-xemx, Alla jsemmik għal dejjem: “Sliem tal-Ġustizzja” u “Glorja tal-Qima ta’ Alla”. Qum, Ġerusalemm, itla’ fl-għoli, u ħares madwarek lejn il-Lvant, ara ’l uliedek miġmugħa, minn fejn tinżel ix-xemx sa fejn titla’, għall-kelma tal-Qaddis, ferħana li Alla ftakar fihom. Telqu mingħandek bil-mixi, imkarkra mill-għedewwa, u issa Alla se jġibhomlok, merfugħin fil-ġieħ bħalkieku fuq tronijiet is-slaten. Għax Alla ordna; jitniżżlu l-muntanji għolja, u l-għoljiet ta’ dejjem, jimtlew il-widien u titwitta l-art, biex hemm Iżrael jimxi ’l quddiem, bla tfixkil ta’ xejn, taħt il-ħarsien ta’ Alla. U l-foresti u s-siġar tal-fwieħa jixħtu dellhom għal fuq Iżrael, bl-ordni ta’ Alla. Għax Alla jmexxi lil Iżrael ferħan, b’dawl il-glorja tiegħu, imsieħba mill-ħniena u l-ġustizzja ħierġa minnu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm             PSALM 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
   we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
   and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,
  “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
   we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
   like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
   shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,
   carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
   carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

SALM RESPONSORJALI            Salm 125(126):1-2ab,2ċd-3,4-5,6
R/.(3): Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħna!

Meta l-Mulej reġġa’ lura l-imjassra ta’ Sijon,
konna qisna mitlufa f’ħolma;
imbagħad bid-daħk imtela fommna,
u bl-għajat ta’ ferħ ilsienna. R/.

Imbagħad bdew jgħidu fost il-ġnus:
“Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħhom!”.
Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħna!
U aħna bil-ferħ imtlejna. R/.

Biddel, Mulej, xortina
bħall-widien tan-Negeb!
Dawk li jiżirgħu fid-dmugħ
jaħsdu bl-għana ta’ ferħ. R/.

Huma u sejrin, imorru jibku,
iġorru ż-żerriegħa għaż-żrigħ.
Iżda huma u ġejjin lura,
jiġu b’għana ta’ ferħ, iġorru l-qatet f’idejhom. R/. 

Reading 2              PHILIPPIANS 1:4-6, 8-11

Brothers and sisters: I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

QARI 2              mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 1:4-6,8-11

Ħuti, nitlob dejjem ferħan fit-talb tiegħi għalikom, minħabba s-sehem li intom ħadtu fix-xandir tal-Evanġelju, mill-ewwel jiem sal-lum. Jiena żgur minn dan: li dak li beda din l-opra tajba fikom, iwassalha għat-tmiem tagħha sa ma jasal il-jum ta’ Kristu Ġesù. Iva, jixhidli Alla kemm jien miġbud lejkom bil-qalb ta’ Kristu Ġesù! U jien dan nitlob: li l-imħabba tagħkom tikber u toktor dejjem iżjed bl-għerf u b’kull dehen, biex tistgħu tagħrfu tagħżlu l-aħjar, u mbagħad tkunu safja u bla ebda ħtija fil-jum ta’ Kristu, mimlijin bil-frott tal-ġustizzja li ġejja permezz ta’ Ġesù Kristu, għall-glorja u l-foħrija ta’ Alla. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel              LUKE 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

EVANĠELJU            Qari skont San Luqa 3:1-6

Fis-sena ħmistax tal-ħakma ta’ Tiberju Ċesari, meta Ponzju Pilatu kien gvernatur tal-Lhudija, Erodi tetrarka tal-Galilija, ħuh Filippu tetrarka tal-artijiet tal-Iturija u t-Trakonija, u Lisanja tetrarka ta’ Abileni, fiż-żmien meta l-uffiċċju ta’ qassis il-kbir kien f’idejn Anna u Kajfa, il-kelma tal-Mulej ġiet fuq Ġwanni bin Żakkarija, fid-deżert. U ġie fl-inħawi kollha ta’ madwar il-Ġordan, ixandar magħmudija ta’ ndiema għall-maħfra tad-dnubiet, kif hemm imniżżel fil-ktieb tal-profeziji ta’ Iżaija: “Leħen ta’ wieħed jgħajjat fid-deżert: Ħejju t-triq tal-Mulej, iddrittaw il-mogħdijiet tiegħu. Kull wied jimtela, kull muntanja u għolja titbaxxa, il-mogħdijiet mgħawwġa jiddrittaw, u t-triqat imħarbta jitwittew. U l-bnedmin kollha jaraw is-salvazzjoni ta’ Alla!”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.:

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 Eight-minute  Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil  

CHRIST 

INVITES 

US
 

Central theme:

The Second Sunday of Advent challenges us to prepare a royal highway in our hearts so that we may receive Jesus as our saving God on Christmas. We should also be prepared for Christ’s daily coming into our lives in the Holy Eucharist, in the Holy Bible, in everyone we encounter, and in the praying community. Finally, we are asked to be ready to meet Jesus as our Judge on His Second Coming, at the end of our lives and at the end of the world.

Scripture lessons summarized:

In the first reading, the prophet Baruch introduces Yahweh, the God of Israel, preparing the way for, and leading the Babylonian exiles to, Jerusalem. Hence, the prophet invites the weeping Jerusalem to rejoice and go to high places to watch the return of the exiles. Baruch’s prophecy announces the return of the whole human race to God. During this Advent season, we, too, are asked to return to the Lord from our slavery to sin.

Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 126) offers us a close-up of the exiles who had wept bitterly on leaving Jerusalem but are now returning home, rejoicing.

In the second reading, Paul advises the Philippians to prepare themselves for Christ’s Second Coming by practicing Christian love and by leading pure and blameless lives.

John the Baptist, in today’s Gospel, challenges the Jews to prepare their lives for receiving their long-awaited Messiah. They are to prepare a highway in their hearts for their Messiah by levelling the mountains of pride and the valleys of impurity, injustice and neglect and straightening their crooked ways. They are to get ready by repenting of their sins, renewing their lives, and expressing their repentance by receiving the baptism of repentance in River Jordan and changing their lives.

Life messages:

#1:   We need to prepare our hearts and lives for Jesus our Savior to be reborn in us during this Christmas time. We have to fill in the “valleys” of our souls, formed from our shallow prayer life and a minimalist living out of our Faith. We have to straighten whatever crooked paths we’ve been walking, like involvement in some secret or habitual sins or in a sinful relationship. If we have been involved in some dishonest practices at work or at home, we are called to straighten them out and make restitution. 

If we have been harbouring grudges or hatred, or failing to be reconciled with others, now is the time to clear away all the debris. As individuals, we might have to overcome deep-seated resentment, persistent fault-finding, unwillingness to forgive, dishonesty in our dealings with others, or a bullying attitude. And we all have to level the “mountains” of our pride and egocentrism by practicing the true humility of rendering humble service to others.

#2:   We need to repent and seek forgiveness from God and those we have injured: John’s message calls us to confront and confess our sins. We need to turn away from them in sincere repentance and receive God’s forgiveness. Next, we need to forgive others who have offended us and ask forgiveness for our offenses. Jesus explicitly declares (Mt 6:14-15): “For if you forgive men their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

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