Fourth Sunday of Advent

Here are the readings for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 23, 2012:

Micah 5: 1-4a
Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10: 5-10
Luke 1: 39-45

It is so easy for this final Sunday of Advent to get lost... the 4th week doesn't even get two full days this year until Christmas evening ushers in the Christmas Season! But just as the first reading addresses a small town and assures it of its importance, every Sunday (truly, every day) is significant as an opportunity to hear God's word and then (like Mary) share that Good News.

• What is the Good News of this year for you?
• How can you be Christ for another person today, in a very tangible way?

The "O" Antiphons

If you know the traditional song "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", you may be familiar with the O Antiphons... a series of ancient names for Jesus, describing his various roles in our salvation story.

Here are the antiphons, one for every day in the week leading up to Christmas, beginning today.

And if you would like to follow a daily reflection on the antiphons, please click on "O Antiphons" in the label list along the right column of this page, or go to December 2009 or 2010 in the blog archive and click for each date.

Third Sunday of Advent

Here are the readings for the Third Sunday in Advent, December 16, 2012:

Zephaniah 3: 14-18a
Isaiah 12: 2-6
Philippians 4: 4-7
Luke 3: 10-18

Did you notice? This is the week that the pink candle is lit! The traditional Latin name for this Sunday is "Gaudete", which means "Rejoice!"  The pink is a visual boost in the midst of our season of preparation, a reassurance that the feast Christmas is nearing.

To help prepare for the readings this weekend, I invite you to read this brief blog post:
Rejoice – Even when Suffering? Third Sunday of Advent

• Where do you find hope?
• What makes you rejoice?
• How do you bring joy to others?

Our topic for the Catechumenate this Sunday is Incarnation.

Second Sunday of Advent

Here are the readings for the Second Sunday in Advent, December 9, 2012:

Baruch 5: 1-9
Psalm 126: 1-6
Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
Luke 3: 1-6

All those hard-to-pronounce names at the beginning of the Gospel-- why are they included?
For one thing, this is Luke's way of letting us know that this story isn't "Once upon a time...." but  rather, "In THIS particular place, at THIS specific time... THIS is what happened!" And then we proceed to learn about John the Baptist's ministry and message.

We live in a particular place and specific time, so it only seems appropriate to take some time this week to ask ourselves how we might best prepare for the coming of our Savior? What needs to change (what mountainous barriers leveled, what potholes filled in?) so that our repentance can be true, our conversion to living like and for Jesus Christ complete?

The topic for the Catechumenate this Sunday is Mary.