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Sunday – 01 December 2013
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Verses:
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122:1-9
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:37-44
FIRST READING: A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah
2:1-5)
‘The Lord Gathers All
Nations Into the Eternal Peace of God’s Kingdom’
2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days
the
mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
3 Many peoples
will come and say,
“Come,
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
5 Come,
descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 122:1-2, 4-5, 6-9)
‘Let Us Go To God’s House’
1 I rejoiced with
those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
SECOND READING: A Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to
the Romans (Romans 13:11-14)
‘Our Salvation is Near’
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
GOSPEL: A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (Matthew 24:37-44)
‘Stay Awake So That You May Be Ready’
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
INSIGHTFUL
WISDOM
WAKE
UP!
“It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is
nearer to us now than when we became believers.” – Romans 13:11
As of this writing, I am three months pregnant makes me sleepy. So
sometimes, when my toddler sons want to play with me and they find me asleep,
they pry my eyes open and loudly sing, “Wake up, wake up! It’s time to get up!”
For us Christians, now that we are in the season of Advent, all of
creation seems to want to do the same for us – wake us up to the reality that
our salvation is nearer than we think! Romans 13:12 says, “The night is far
gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside that works of darkness and put on
the armour of light.”
The light of Jesus shines ever so brightly this Christmas. His gift
of Himself, of hope, of promise, of newness, of life and of joy awaits all
those who look to Him with great longing!
Let us make the effort to be fully awake and aware of Jesus and what
His coming means to us. Like the shepherds on that first Christmas, let us make
the journey to find Jesus that we may worship Him and rejoice at this wonderful
discovery. - PY
Prayer:
Dearest Savior, please let
me be fully awake to witness Your glory and goodness this season. Amen.
Wise Words:
“Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what
he ought to believe, to know what he ought to desire and to know what he ought
to do.” – St Thomas Aquinas
Source:
New International Version (NIV)
Living Water 2013
