SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his paths straight,
and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. LK 3:1, 6

ISAIAH 40:1-5, 9-11

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The prophet assures the people of God, their deliverance is at hand, their exile will end and they will return home.  Today we know that these words of consolation are addressed to all who are enslaved by sin and prisoners of their weaknesses. God has had pity on us and has sent us a deliverer, a redeemer, a savior, a messiah who will free us from every bondage to sin, and end our captivity of the senses that bind us to the things of the world. You will pay the price for our redemption. You will lay down Your life. You will receive our punishment. You will take upon Yourself the suffering that is ours and we will live.

Our response to this unfathomable gift of love given to all who are called by Your Name, who are baptized into Your Body and have received the Holy Spirit, is to carry out the mandate given to us to prepare the way of the Lord who will come again. This time, however, You will come in glory and majesty. Now is the time, this is the hour, to prepare ourselves by sowing virtue and reaping good, lasting fruit. Now is the time to weed out sin and to ensure that the light of grace is not snuffed out by it. 

The Lord our God is coming, this time You will not come in secret, in silence, in poverty, at night when the world is asleep but with great splendor. The whole world will know for it will be as 'lightning flashing across the sky from one end of the earth to another. 

The time for reparation, for contrition, for penance will soon be over and we will stand before You, the righteous, and just judge. The time for mercy will be no more but each will receive the prize of victory which is eternal rest in the Father's bosom or eternal separation from the God of love. Now is the hour - let us wake up before it is too late.

PSALM 85:9-14

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

Today we experience You as our Good Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep, as the merciful and loving Father of the prodigal son, the Good Samaritan who washes and binds our wounds. The Prince of Peace, the God who weeps with us in tender compassion and constantly invites and woos us to repentance, conversion, discipleship, and fellowship with Him. God's mercy and saving help is available to us now and is ours for the asking and for the taking. The power of the Cross redeems and saves all sinners for as long as time lasts.

God's mercy, faithfulness, justice, and peace flow in life-giving streams from the Cross of Calvary, and divine help and salvation is granted to all who call upon Your Name. All who believe in You must receive and embrace You, the Word of God, in its entirety for You are the fullness of all Truth who deigns to dwell in Your Church.

God's Word alone has the power to prosper His people by granting them a share in the wealth and riches of divine wisdom, grace, virtue. The peace of God that surpasses all human understanding is available right here and now even as we live in a world of sin, division, evil, duplicity, and injustice.

2PETER 3:8-14

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

The world works feverishly, and tirelessly with the forces of evil to persecute, to control, and to muzzle the voice of faithful Christians everywhere. Nations, governments, political parties, the powerful with immense wealth have evil and sinister agendas to destroy Christians and Christianity for they recognize it as their greatest threat and obstacle to gaining total control and dominion over the world. 

The poor, the weak, the marginalized, the defenseless, the mentally and physically challenged, the helpless, those who refuse to bow down to bullying and coercion, and are prepared to die for the Truth are being hounded, threatened, persecuted, imprisoned, and even killed. Their suffering seems never-ending. Today, St. Peter reminds us to have courage, faith, hope, to be patient, and to trust in You even though it seems that the world will destroy itself before Your return. You desire to show mercy to all even the most perverse and hardened of sinners. But one thing is guaranteed, 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 burnt up. Let us change our ways while there is yet time and while we are waiting let us wait with faith and in hope for the fulfillment of Your promise of - 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.

MARK 1:1-8

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

You are the Good News that the Father has given us. The Son of God who was foretold by all the prophets whom He would send into the world to redeem it back to Him.

St. John the Baptist's exhortation to all who came to him to receive the baptism of repentance and conversion was to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. It is a timely reminder to us too to use this time of Advent to prepare a way for You. It is a time to weed out all the obstacles that keep us from loving and serving You as we ought. 

John lived a life of austerity, discipline, and self-denial this is anathema to our world today where excess in all its forms is encouraged and celebrated. 

The baptism of John was one of repentance, it did not possess the power of the baptism You instituted which makes us children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven. He, however, prepared the way for You, he prepared the hearts, minds, and spirits of those who would welcome and receive You. John recognized, although the world didn't, who You were. He also knew that when You came he had to step away, for all that is not You or of You has to give way to You:  ‘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.’ Thank You, Lord, for the privilege of being baptized into Your Body, becoming a member of Your Church, and for my own personal call to prepare the way for You and to make You known and loved by the witness of my life.