First reading
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Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1-8
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For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
Why, O Lord, do you make us stray from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage.
that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence –
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil
– to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
Why, O Lord, do you make us stray from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage.
that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence –
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil
– to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Second reading
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1 Corinthians 1:3-9
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge-even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you-so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel
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Mark 13:33-37
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Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
Therefore, keep awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
Therefore, keep awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
Reflection
by Jessa Janelle Padilla
Today is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year, Advent Season. Advent is from the Latin word advenire, meaning to come to. This is the season where we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Messiah. During this season we prepared an Advent Wreath that has four candles (three purple and one rose in colors), representing the four weeks of Advent. The Advent Wreath is shaped in a perfect circle to remind us that God is eternal. Today we light one of the purple candles that symbolizes prayer.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus told his disciples to be watchful and alert. In the driving school, the driving instructor always reminds his students to be watchful and alert every time. The student must be watchful of the road condition, stop lights, road signs, and incoming vehicles. Also, to be alert to step on the break or pull the hand break immediately whenever there is someone or another vehicle that will cross the road unexpectedly. The reminders of the driving instructor are important to keep his student safe when they are no longer under his guidance because no one knows when an accident may happen.
Also, a security guard or police officer who is in charge to guard an establishment or an area, is instructed by their supervisors to be alert and watchful all the time (24/7) since he/she doesn’t know when a crime might be committed.
These are the circumstances where we can picture out Jesus’ message to us. We must always be watchful and alert all the time, day or night. We must prepare ourselves not just physically but also spiritually because we are not aware when He will come to judge us and grant us our salvation. Oftentimes, we treat the Lord's Coming with fear and worry. The Prophet Isaiah, in the First Reading, acknowledged God as father. Meanwhile, St Paul, in the Second Reading, tells us that God has called into fellowship with Jesus. If God is our father, if we are in such fellowship with His Only Son, why fear and worry? The best way to prepare is to pray. It alerts the soul to our Father's presence. It keeps it awake on those many moments when He comes when we least expect it.
Prayer
Loving Father, teach us how to become watchful and alert in all circumstances. Teach us to become obedient even when no one sees us. Be our guide all the time and direct our path towards the path You have prepared for us. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
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