SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, CYCLE A

Open with a prayer: Father, in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. This we ask through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Sharing of life question: What are you most and least grateful for this week?

Facilitator reads focus statement: There is a shift in focus from the Second coming of the Lord to his historical birth as the Sunday’s of the Advent season unfold. Today’s first reading blends the two, but reflects a growing emphasis on the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah’s disillusionment with the kings of his own time led him to dream about an ideal king who would rule the people with the mind and heart of God. In the Gospel, John the Baptist is preparing the people for the coming of the ideal or messianic king. In the second reading, Paul tells his readers that Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promises to the Israelites.

If you have not read the commentary prior to the meeting, consider reading it before or after you read the scripture readings.

FIRST READING: Isaiah 11:1-10

Disillusioned with the King Ahaz, a contemporary of Isaiah, Isaiah assures his people that God will raise up a faithful king who will rule his people with the mind and heart of God. This new king will come from the ‘stump of Jesse" (David’s father). "Stump" implies that the house of Jesse and his descendents have been cut down and the monarchy has been defeated. But appearances are deceptive, for out of this seemingly defeated stump will sprout a shoot -- a new plant upon which the Spirit of the Lord will rest. Even though Isaiah, most likely had in mind the yet-to-be born King Hezekiah who lived close to his time, Christians have seen Christ as the ideal King spoken of by Isaiah. The reading lists several divine gifts that will be bestowed on a future King to enable him to rule in a way pleasing to God. (These "Isaian gifts" of the Spirit are the ones we learned about when preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.)

Then Isaiah dreams or imagines a time when a wonderful peace will reign in the land of Israel. Enemies will live in harmony with each other. The King springing from the stump of Jesse will be so divinely inspired that even the Gentiles will seek him out.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 72

In this royal psalm, the psalmist asks God to bless the King, especially with justice, so that he can in turn bless his people and help them to experience justice and peace in their lives.

SECOND READING: Romans 15:4-9

Paul is writing to a community that has both Jewish and Gentile Christians, a community that has very dedicated followers of Christ and ones not so dedicated. In this reading, Paul strongly exhorts all members of the Roman Christian community to be patient with each other and to live together in "perfect harmony". They should accept each other as Christ accepted them. Their unity and mutual respect will glorify God.

GOSPEL: Matthew 3:1-12

Each year on the second Sunday of Advent, we meet John the Baptist our in the dessert where he is seeking to prepare large crowds for the coming of Jesus. His message is identical to Jesus’ "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Matt. 4:1-7). The "repentance" that John called for was not attention to the externals of one’s religion. Rather, John called for a total change of mind and heart, which would manifest itself in "good fruits" like prayerfulness, justice in one’s relationships with others. Such a change of heart and behavior would prepare people to welcome the Messiah and his message.

John shows little patience for the insincere Pharisees who step forward for his baptism. In his eyes, they do not manifest the "true fruits of repentance". They are only going through the motions of conversion perhaps to look good in the eyes of people who are so drawn to John’s message.

It would seem that when Matthew was writing his Gospel about fifty years after Jesus’ death to a largely Jewish audience, there may have been some competition between the followers of John and the followers of Jesus. Matthew wants to make it very clear that true disciples of John should also be disciples of Jesus, since John himself was a disciple of Jesus and regarded his ministry as inferior to the ministry of Jesus. Finally references to "a winnowing fan, fire and an axe", speak of a coming judgment when the truly converted will be separated from the uncoverted. As we read this reading, we are reminded that we too are called to repent as a way of preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord.

FAITH SHARING QUESTIONS

1. What verse or image spoke to you most? Why?

2. Which gift of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the first reading do you need the most at this time? Why?

3. When it comes to "living in harmony" with others (second reading), what one or more obstacles do you run into?

4. Most of us are spiritually blind to our real need to do the serious work of repentance. Why? Why is it so difficult for most people to spend real time in the dessert where God may show us what needs changing in our lives?

RESPONDING TO THE WORD

Name one way you can act on today’s reading. Suggestions: Spend some serious time asking the Holy Spirit to help you to see what attitudes or behaviors need changing in your life. If there is some relationship in you life that needs to be restored to peace, pray about what steps you can take to make this happen.

CONCLUDE WITH PRAYERS OF PETITION AND INTERCESSION