Worthy or Not, Pray!

 

 

 

Second Sunday of Advent 

6 December 2020

First Reading IS 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

 

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

 

 

Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care. 

 

Second Reading 2 PT 3:8-14

 

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,

that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,”
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.

Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him,

at peace. 

Gospel MK 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle Payod-Balla

 

Christmas is definitely in the air!

Christmas decorations and Christmas trees are up.

Some gifts are already wrapped

and some are on their way from the online shops.

(Glad I have those sentences rhymed 😌)

 

I pray everyday and I say a lot of prayers. Because I have so many things to pray, I normally can't finish them all in one sitting. I have to say as much prayers as I can when I wake up in the morning, and say the others during lunch time, and before going to sleep at night. I have prayer lists for all those who are sick, for married couples I know, for the souls of each of our departed family members, and for the family, friends, relatives, and neighbors of school mates and others. These are on top of the three religious books I read and the seven novena-like prayers I say daily.

There are times when I paused and thought that I may not be worthy to call upon the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit to request and say my prayers. When this happens, I would change the way I say my prayer, asking Jesus and the Father to allow me to pray in behalf of others though I am unworthy to talk to them.

Though I pray as often as possible, I know that it may not make me "fit to kneel down and undo the strap of His sandals". Only His grace can do that, if He allows it. I do believe though that prayers can help others, can change my heart, and can keep me grounded on Him. It helps purify my intentions and deepens my resolve to grow in Him, to connect with Him as often as possible.

I trust that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit hear my prayers and your prayers too, even if we are undeserving of Their presence.

May you find time to spend meaningful moments with God this Advent season.

 

Prayer

 

Father, though we are unworthy to be in Your presence, please hear our cry for help and accept our offer of worship and thanksgiving. Please grant us forgiveness and healing this Christmas season. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.