Saint Aloysius Parish, Advent Discussion Group 1 ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2017 Chosen So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn. Mark 13:35 Welcome everyone! Let us greet the person on either side with a smile, acknowledging the presence of one another, our relatedness as a Parish community and our gathering here in friendship with God as Christ. The Scripture readings this evening are in preparation for the first Sunday of Advent. The Gospel of St Mark summons us to stay constantly awake to the presence of Christ. Most of us would agree that we need the Advent call to alertness. We are taught the invisible God speaks to us as friends. 1 Yet looking intently for the action of God in our lives during the Christmas rush can be like panning for gold. Even doing normal things to do with the Church, sometimes we are sanctifying our daily lives but sometimes we may be doing everything without really being awake and open to the presence of Christ. Advent reminds us everything without Christ is emptiness. New Reader: Pope Francis sharpens our awareness saying - we must be convinced from personal experience that it is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known Him, not the same thing to walk with Him as to walk blindly. [ ] We know well that with Jesus life becomes richer and that with Him it is easier to find meaning in everything. 2 1 Vatican II document Dei Verbum #2. 2 Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel. 1
Opening Prayer ALL: To you, we lift up our souls, O my God. Our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Saviour and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Lighting the Candles New Reader: The first candle in our Advent wreath, the Prophet s Candle is a symbol of Hope. It prepares us to connect to one of the wondrous central realities of our faith - our God who enters the world to walk with us through all the ups and downs of life, as one of us. Lord, you are the light of our world. ALL: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Reader: O gracious God of promise, we prepare to worship together as we await the fulfillment of your wondrous plan. Help us to grow as we hear your Word and live in your love. ALL: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Reader: May the light of your love always shine in our hearts. ALL: Amen. Reader: Tonight, we each light our own candle to make a personal commitment to walk with Jesus and to draw closer to this loving, strong and faithful Presence. ALL: Lord God, following Jesus connects us to a religious heritage going back to Moses and the Hebrew prophets, our sisters and brothers in faith and ritual. Come guide us in wisdom and mercy also, that we be worthy inheritors of your promise, sharing with others a reverence for your friendship, your love and your gratuitous self-giving. AMEN 2
Mass Readings for the 1 st Sunday of Advent First Reading: Isaiah 63:16-17; 64:1, 3-8. Please see the Sunday Bulletin. New Reader: A reading from the prophet Isaiah. You, LORD, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old. No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him. Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways! Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind. There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt. Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands. The Word of the Lord ALL: Thanks be to God. Pause in silence for a few moments before the optional sharing of a phrase. Please briefly say what you like about it and why you chose it, without others commenting or offering advice. This is to strengthen your personal experience of the reading. 3
Responsorial Psalm: New Reader R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power, and come to save us. R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong. R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. Second Reading: Corinthians 1: 3-9 Please see the Sunday Bulletin St Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians about six years after he established the Christian Church in Corinth on his second missionary journey in 50 CE. He tells them that as the chosen people of God, their salvation is assured. God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ. His message is the Good News we are called to hear and share. New Reader: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift 4
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Word of the Lord ALL: Thanks be to God Pause in silence for a few moments before the optional sharing of a phrase. Please briefly say what you like about it and why you chose it, without others commenting or offering advice. This is to strengthen your personal experience of the reading. Gospel Acclamation: ALL: Alleluia, Alleluia! Lord, show us your mercy and love And grant us your salvation. Alleluia! Gospel Mark 13:33 37; Please see the Sunday Bulletin New Reader: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark Jesus said to his disciples: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'" The Gospel of the Lord. ALL: Thanks be to God Pause in silence for a few moments before optional sharing of a phrase. Please briefly say what you like about it and why you chose it, without others commenting or offering advice. This is to strengthen your personal experience of the reading. 5
Commentary and discussion of the Gospel New Reader: St Mark s Gospel is a narrative telling the story of the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. He proclaims the good news that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Written in the 70s of the first Christian century, St Mark gives us the substance of the prophetical sermon which our Lord Jesus preached, pointing at the destruction of Jerusalem, and the consummation of the prophesy. St Mark and the community for whom he was writing were concerned about the mission to the Gentiles and the community was exposed to suffering and persecution. In the midst of this, he writes 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, (36) or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. A further sentence moves the meaning from Jesus disciples to Mark s group and beyond - to us: What I say to you I say to all: Keep awake. (13:35-37). New Reader: Nearly twenty centuries later, pointers on discipleship in St Mark s Gospel can help us to stay awake. 1) We are charged with the care of our soul, which is the temple or house of God for all eternity. 2) The certainty of the event of our life one day being over can be quicken our faith and hope. 3) Living with global uncertainty and our own personal ups and downs, we can appreciate the uncertainty of our time and see the need to be in a continual state of watchfulness and prayer. Mark also proclaimed to his ancient Christian group another truth worth knowing today. 4) the idea that God holds our future, too. With that assurance, Jesus calls us to a trusting, attentive faithfulness now. Christ is something that is happening to us, NOW. The nature of Questions for discussion What is God asking of us? What can we do to nurture and protect the life of God that has been offered to us? How do you recognise the presence of God in your life? Can you give examples of God s Presence in your recent experience? Please comment and discuss freely. Christianity is that it is an event shared and passed on NOW. 6
MEDITATION First Sunday of Advent, Cycle B (if time allows). Preparation As we begin this time of quiet prayer, I invite you to find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight and your legs planted on the ground. Allow yourself to notice your breathing as you breathe normally. Breathe in. Breathe out. Take a few moments and close your eyes, preparing yourself to listen to what God may be saying to you during this meditation. As you sit with your eyes closed, silently use these or similar words: Here I am, Lord. Here I am. Ma-ra-na-tha is a choice some of us are used to. It means Come Lord Jesus. After eight minutes a gong will sound to end the exercise. Then, when you are ready, open your eyes and we will pray the closing prayer together: Closing Prayer ALL: God of mercy, open our hearts in loving wakefulness. Help us to remain ever attentive to your presence in us and around us. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may live in his Spirit and become one with him when he comes. Amen 7
A NEW HEART FOR A NEW WORLD 438 GATHER Refrain Create a new heart, holy Lord, Beckon our lives through your word, Open our eyes to your call, United as one for your world. Heighten our minds to your thoughts, Heal us of pride and of hurt, May we go forth in your name, We pray our hearts change. Verse 1 The heart of the cross lowly and poor, calls us on. Lord, it is you promising hope, promising truth. Refrain Verse 2 Restless the hearts who yearn for your peace in this land. Deepen the dream, justice brings life, justice redeems. Refrain *** Goodnight and thank you for coming. I hope you can be here next week but some I know cannot. The booklet has daily Advent reflections so please take it with you if you wish, return with it and discuss any points you liked. Let us offer one another the sign of peace! 8