GET MOVING – GET PREPARED – REJOICE
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: Today, the Third Sunday of Advent, is called “Gaudete Sunday”. The readings challenge us to get moving and get prepared to rejoice at the Lord’s coming.
We pray in this Eucharist that we may get moving and prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord.
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 bring us the joy of complete forgiveness: Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Christ Jesus, you share with us the Good News of the love of God: Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you prepare us for a joy that will last forever: 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: Almighty God,
you sent your Son into a world
where evil clings to what is good
and the wheat must be winnowed from the chaff.
Let the fire of your Spirit
purge us of greed and deceit,
so that we may find our peace in you
and you may delight in us.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,
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 Zephaniah 3:14-18
Psalm Isaiah 12:2-6
Response Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Reading 2 Philippians 4:4-7
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
Gospel Luke 3:10-18
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are among the crowd which asked John “what should we do”. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear his response?
Sunday Snippets
On 17 October 1989, San Francisco experienced a major earthquake. A group of people stood watching fire-fighters try to put out a blazing fire. A cop yelled at them: “What are you doing just standing there? Get going! Go home and fill your bathtubs with water. Be prepared to live without city services for 72 hours. Your time is running out. Get going and get prepared.”
Roll back the clock two thousand years to the region around the river Jordan. We have a similar scene! Instead of a dishevelled cop, there is a dishevelled John the Baptist. The situation is the same: there was no geological earthquake but a political and moral one in Israel. The message and the urgency are the same. “Get going and get prepared!”
Today’s gospel continues from last Sunday; the people ask John: “What should we do?” John’s response may be summed up thus:
- be loving by sharing your resources
- be just
- be content with what you have
When we are LJC (loving-just-content), we will be ready for the coming of LJC (our Lord Jesus Christ)!
John announces the coming of the Lord as a judgement. But it’s a judgement we can meet joyfully and with confidence if we have loved and have faithfully done our daily work.
We find this theme of “joy in unlikely situations” in the other readings. This is a distinctive feature of Advent joy!
Zephaniah announces the coming of the Lord as a day of doom and yet invites Israel to “shout for joy”! Paul calls the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always”; he writes to them from prison, uncertain about his future.
How can one be joyful in situations in which it seems impossible to be joyful? Joy comes – as Zephaniah prophecies – because “the Lord is in our midst”. Joy comes – as Paul writes – because “the Lord is near”. It comes because our future is secured by God and in God. Our task is to get moving and prepare for the Lord’s coming.
Let me ask and answer the question: “What must I do?”
With whom will I share myself and my resources this Advent? Are there areas in my life in which I need to be just and honest? Will I be content with what the Lord has given me
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: This reading says twice: “Be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst.” Have I ever remembered the presence of God in the middle of a crisis? What effect did it have on me?
Reading 2: St Paul invites us to “rejoice in the Lord always”. Do I think/ believe it is possible to rejoice in the Lord “always”? Why/ why not?
Gospel: What kind of people went to hear John and then repented? Would I show up to hear someone like John today? What do I want to see and hear?
The crowds asked him “What then should we do?” What should I do?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Let us pray to the God of joy that we may always live in his peace and joy: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may experience joy through recognizing God with us each day and be instruments in helping others become aware of God’s work in their lives, we pray…
R: For the world: that we may strive to fulfil our duties to others and use our gifts to ease the suffering and promote the well-being of all our brothers and sisters, we pray…
R: For all who feel overwhelmed by life: that God’s message of ‘have no fear’ may renew their hearts and fill their spirits with hope, we pray…
R: For protection and healing: that God may heal all who are ill and give strength to all who care for the sick, we pray…
R: For the protection of earth’s resources: that God may give wisdom and understanding to all who are developing policies that affect earth's air, water, and natural resources, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that God may help us so that our faith increases, our spirits grow in courage, and our hearts overflow with love, we pray…
L: God our Father, may your Holy Spirit give us the courage to bring your good news of hope and joy to all who wait for your Son, who is Lord for ever 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,
what must we do to prepare for your coming?
Your Baptist says we must
share our clothing,
share our food,
be honest, just, and content.
Lord,
baptize us with the fire of your Holy Spirit,
burn the chaff from the wheat,
and gather us into your loving arms.
Give us your peace that surpasses all understanding
that we may rejoice in you always
and shout with joy that you are in our midst.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God our Father,
help us to seek joy and happiness
not in personal contentment nor in things
but in people and in you,
in human kindness and in sharing,
and in doing all things well.
Make our every day new and worth living.
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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