WAIT… WITH REALISTIC HOPE
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...).
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.
You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross
Greeting and Introductory Words
L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.
L: There are terrible wars, natural disasters, and there are millions of refugees seeking safety.
Yet, on this first Sunday of Advent, our Lord challenges us to keep up our hope and expectations, for he is still with us and near to us. As wait and watch for his coming, we affirm our hope.
Penitential Rite
L: For our failure to prepare for the Lord’s coming and to be joyful, we ask the Lord’s pardon.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you invite us to stand erect and raise our heads
because our redemption is at hand: Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you caution us to always be vigilant and to pray: Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you will come with power and great glory: Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
Opening Prayer
L: Lord our God,
we are your people on the march
who try to carry out the task
of building your kingdom of love and peace.
When we are discouraged and afraid,
keep us going forward in hope.
Make us vigilant in prayer,
that we may see the signs of your Son’s coming,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
A: Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings
The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.
Reading 1 Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Response To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Reading 2 1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
Gospel Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are with the disciples when Jesus speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of the Son of Man. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear him speak?
Sunday Snippets
In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl writes that one of the worst sufferings at Auschwitz was waiting: waiting for an uncertain release or for the war to end or for death. This waiting caused some prisoners to give up and others like Frankl to not succumb. The latter had a realistic goal, a “why”. They looked at the present realistically and to the future with hope.
Look at the present realistically and to the future with hope! This is the message of the readings today.
Jeremiah is preaching at a time of national and personal distress: Jerusalem is under siege and he is in prison. He recognizes that the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile are imminent. But he foresees that a “shoot” will bud from the old stalk of David, who will bring about peace with justice and there will be a total recovery of national and religious stability. The present is bleak; Jeremiah looks at it squarely and looks to the future with hope.
Jesus predicts the total collapse of Jerusalem, which has been the symbol of God’s eternal fidelity. But he encourages his disciples to stand firm, because he is the “shoot of David” who will re-establish order and recovery of identity. Jesus paints a grim view of the future not to paralyse his listeners with fear but to call them to faith, prayer, and hopeful waiting; he invites them to be attentive to their disorders.
St Paul urges the Thessalonians to grow in love for another and to grow in holiness during this period of waiting.
How will I spend this Season of Advent:
Will I lament the present or will I look at it realistically and to the future with hope? What are the disorders and dissipations I need to remove from my life? How will I grow in love and holiness?
May this Advent be a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus… a time of hope-filled and realistic waiting-action.
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Jeremiah reminds the people of the Lord’s promise to them. How does that promise relate to hope? Is hope a risky virtue? What would my life be like without hope? What can I do to bring hope to people I know?
Reading 2: St Paul said he “abounded in love” for the Thessalonians to strengthen their hearts. How is “abounding in love” an effective method of strengthening hearts or eliciting change. Can great change or growth ever happen without immense love?
Gospel: Could much of this Gospel passage have been written today (roaring sea, drowsy hearts, dying of fright, anxieties, carousing, imminent tribulations)? Jesus tells us to pray for strength. Do I believe that if I ask for strength I will receive it? Could God send it through other people? How could I be a source of strength for others?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: In his love, our Father in heaven sent his Son into the world to fulfil all our hopes and to give us an eternal future. Let us pray to him: Lord, you are our hope.
R: For the Church and her leaders: that they may help all people to believe in God’s presence with us today and look to the future with hope in the fulfilment of his promises, we pray…
R: For the leaders of all nations: that they may sincerely and earnestly work to create a world where justice and peace reign, and freedom and human life are respected, we pray…
R: For all who are experiencing the collapse of social, political, and economic structures: that they may seek first the reign of God and find their security in God, we pray…
R: For people without hope or courage, for those suffering from hunger and wars: that we may revive their hope by building a better world with them, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that our hearts may not be numbed into complacency nor our minds caught in worry but may we stay attentive to the Word of God and the signs of our times, we pray…
L: Heavenly Father, in your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from anxiety and fear as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is Lord forever and ever.
A: Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
The Lord’s Prayer
Spiritual Communion
A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.
Post Spiritual Communion Reflection
Lord,
you challenge us to keep our heads high in hope…
to keep hoping when there are wars and violence,
to keep hoping when there is much injustice,
to keep hoping when there is much hatred,
to keep hoping, for there is a future.
Lord,
you are with us,
and with you, we can defeat enmity with friendship.
Help us hold our heads high in this season of Advent,
for you are coming
and with you there is hope and a future.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Lord our God, merciful Father,
you have spoken to us your word of hope
and renewed our strength
with the bread of life of your Son.
Free our faith from routine
and send us out with your Son
to restore integrity and love and trust in the world.
Through Christ our Lord.A: Amen.
Blessing
L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.
Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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