Dear sisters and brothers,  Let's prepare for the Lord's coming. He is somebody.   Fr. Cielo

1. Welcome to our Bible
Study
2nd Sunday of Advent A
4 December 2016
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

2. 1st reading: Isaiah 11,1-10
 1 On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from
his roots a bud shall blossom. 2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest
upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel
and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, 3 and
his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he
judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, 4 But he shall judge the poor
with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike
the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
he shall slay the wicked. 5 Justice shall be the band around his
waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. 6 Then the wolf shall be
a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The
calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to
guide them. 7 The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together
their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. 8 The baby
shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the
adder's lair. 9 There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea. 10 On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as
a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling
shall be glorious.

3. 1st reading: Isaiah 11,1-10
 1 On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from
his roots a bud shall blossom. 2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest
upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel
and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, 3 and
his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he
judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, 4 But he shall judge the poor
with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike
the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
he shall slay the wicked. 5 Justice shall be the band around his
waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. 6 Then the wolf shall be
a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The
calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to
guide them. 7 The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together
their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. 8 The baby
shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the
adder's lair. 9 There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea. 10 On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as
a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling
shall be glorious.
The focus is on the shoot of Jesse.

4. 1st reading: Isaiah 11,1-10
The child to be born (Messiah)
 1 On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud
shall blossom. 2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of
understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of
the LORD, 3 and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
The man (child) will administer justice
 Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, 4 But he shall
judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the
ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the
wicked. 5 Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his
hips.
The result: total peace, no harm
 Animal world
 6 Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the
kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.
7 The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion
shall eat hay like the ox.
 Man and animals
 8 The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
 Nature, cosmos
 9 There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled
with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.
 Gentiles
 10 On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall
seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.
A simple outline!

5. 1st reading: Isaiah 11,1-10
The child to be born
(Messiah)
 1 On that day, a
shoot shall sprout
from the stump of
Jesse, // and from
his roots a bud shall
blossom.
(parallelism) 2 The
spirit of the LORD
shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom
and of
understanding, a
spirit of counsel and
of strength, a spirit of
knowledge and of
fear of the LORD, 3
and his delight shall
be the fear of the
LORD.
Commentary
 In v.1, Isaiah predicts that a strong leader will be
born. (Jesse is the father of David, Ruth 4,22).
 V.2 informs us that the Spirit of the Lord will be
upon him.
 This is the same spirit that animates the life of the
prophets and anointed kings. It gives power and
courage.
 It gives wisdom in terms of decision making (spirit
of wisdom) and will give consideration to the weak
(spirit of understanding).
 It will have attentive ears and heart, consoling
encounter with him (spirit of counsel)
 It will give energy, builds up self-esteem and self-
confidence (spirit of strength)
 It will be well-informed, knows all sides, total
information (spirit of knowledge)
 It teaches reverence, discipline and respect to the
Lord, dares not to test him /experiment on him, to
make fun of him (spirit of the fear of the Lord)
 The fear of the Lord is used 2x. This man [this
shoot] means business.

6. The man (child) will
administer
justice
 Not by
appearance shall
he judge, // nor by
hearsay shall he
decide,
 4 But he shall
judge the poor
with justice // and
decide aright for
the land's
afflicted. He shall
strike the ruthless
with the rod of his
mouth, // and with
the breath of his
lips he shall slay
the wicked. 5
Justice shall be
the band around
his waist, // and
faithfulness a belt
upon his hips.
 In v.3b when he judges, his criteria will not be
externals, ie, looks, smell, accessories, outfit,
hairdo. His basis will not be sabi-sabi,
sumbong or hearsay. He wants high quality
information [done in good faith, complete, not
misinterpretations, not reports done with
malice] and from a reliable source of
information, not just from anyone else. He
knows on whom to listen to.
 In v.4, he will right the wrong done to the
poor. He will restore their rights. He will
unburden those who are already suffering
unjustly.
 He will just say a word and justice will be
done to the cruel and heartless. His powerful
words carry swift justice [punishment] to
evildoers, to those who do injustice to the
poor.
 In v.5, he has no other business than to give
justice to the poor and the afflicted, and
faithfulness to his chosen ones. The sight of
him reminds us of justice and faithfulness.
 This paragraph is full of parallelisms as in the
other texts of Isaiah.

7. The result: total peace, no harm, no more
incompatibilities (shalom)
Animal world
 6 Then the wolf shall be a guest of the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with
the kid; The calf and the young lion shall
browse together, with a little child to guide
them. 7 The cow and the bear shall be
neighbors, together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
Man and animals
 8 The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's
lair.
Jerusalem
 9 There shall be no harm or ruin on all my
holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled
with knowledge of the LORD, as water
covers the sea.
 Gentiles
 10 On that day, the root of Jesse, set up
as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles
shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be
glorious.
 Vv.6-7 talk of harmony in
the animal world.
 V.8 talks of harmony of
humans and animals.
 V.9 declares that
Jerusalem will be safe.
Everybody may come in.
Knowledge of the Lord
keeps all in harmony.
 (Ignorance of him creates
chaos, conflict, violence
and injustices).
 In v.10, his leadership will
bring about total peace.

8. Reflections on the 1st reading
 The 1st reading announces the greatness of the one who
is to be born.
 He is well equipped (with the spirit of God).
 He is coming for a big mission: to bring justice to the
poor, to punish the wicked, and to establish security.
 As Christians, we attribute this man (shoot of Jesse) to
Jesus Christ.
 All the attributes we find in the text is applicable to
Jesus.
 Isaiah prophesies the coming of Jesus. He introduces
him to us, expectant readers, who want justice,
righteousness, faithfulness, harmony and security in our
land.
 The reading gives hope to the lowly, warning to the
corrupt.

9. Resp. Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
 R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for
ever.
 1 O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
2 he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
 7 Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
 17 May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

10. Resp. Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
 R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his
time, and fullness of peace for ever.
 1 O God, with your judgment endow the
king, and with your justice, the king’s son;
2 he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
 7 Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no
more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the
earth.
 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he
cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to
help him.
13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the
poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
 17 May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be
blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his
happiness.
Commentary
 V.1 is a prayer for the king and his
son that they may be endowed with
justice.
 In this way, they will rule with justice
and help the poor. V.2
 V.7 indicates that his rule of justice is
timeless (for ever).
 V.8 indicates that his rule of justice
extends over all the earth.
 Vv.12-13 indicate that he has a big
heart to the poor, afflicted and lowly.
 V.17 expresses a good wish to this
just ruler (to have a lasting just rule).
 Because of him, all peoples will be
blessed and will proclaim their joy.

11. Reflections on the Psalm
 A just ruler evokes a sense of hope.
 He prioritizes the poor, the oppressed, the
afflicted and the lowly.
 He gives them justice (what has been denied from
them by the unjust rulers).
 The psalm fits the description of the coming
Messiah.
 In this season of Advent, we rejoice because
we believe Jesus comes to bring us justice.

12. 2nd reading: Romans 15,4-9
 4 Whatever was written previously was written for our
instruction, that by endurance and by the
encouragement of the scriptures we might have
hope. 5 May the God of endurance and
encouragement grant you to think in harmony with
one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, 6 that with
one accord you may with one voice glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Welcome one
another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory
of God. 8 For I say that Christ became a minister of
the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to
confirm the promises to the patriarchs, 9 but so that
the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is
written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the
Gentiles and sing praises to your name."

13. 2nd reading: Romans 15,4-9
 4 Whatever was written previously was written for our
instruction, that by endurance and by the
encouragement of the scriptures we might have
hope. 5 May the God of endurance and
encouragement grant you to think in harmony with
one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, 6 that with
one accord you may with one voice glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Welcome one
another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory
of God. 8 For I say that Christ became a minister of
the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to
confirm the promises to the patriarchs, 9 but so that
the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is
written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the
Gentiles and sing praises to your name."
The focus is on unity and harmony.

14. 2nd reading: Romans 15,4-9
Writings of Old (OT)
 4 Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction,
that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we
might have hope.
Wish of Paul: unity and harmony of believers
 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to
think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, 6
that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Exhortation to welcome one another
 7 Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the
glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ became a minister of the
circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to
the patriarchs, 9 but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his
mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the
Gentiles and sing praises to your name."
A simple outline!

15. 2nd reading: Romans 15,4-9
Writings of Old (OT)
 4 Whatever was written previously
was written for our instruction, that
by endurance and by the
encouragement of the scriptures we
might have hope.
Wish of Paul: unity and harmony of
believers
 5 May the God of endurance and
encouragement grant you to think in
harmony with one another, in
keeping with Christ Jesus, 6 that
with one accord you may with one
voice glorify the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Exhortation to welcome one another
 7 Welcome one another, then, as
Christ welcomed you, for the glory
of God. 8 For I say that Christ
became a minister of the
circumcised to show God's
truthfulness, to confirm the promises
to the patriarchs, 9 but so that the
Gentiles might glorify God for his
mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I
will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name."
Commentary
 V.4 refers to the Torah. The Torah is
for instruction. The sacred scriptures
are written to encourage us and to
train us to endure.
 The by-product of endurance and
encouragement is hope.
 V.5 picks up the 2 points of v.4,
namely; endurance and
encouragement. Paul does this with a
different purpose:
 To have harmony
 To glorify God with one accord and
one voice (unity) v.6.
 V.7 exhorts the Christians to welcome
one another. (No harmony is possible
without a welcoming attitude.)
 In vv.8-9, Christ has served the Jews
(circumcised) to show that God is true
and has fulfilled his promises.
 As a result, the Gentiles (non-Jews)
give praise to God, for his mercy.

16. Reflections on the 2nd reading
 The reading teaches us how to attain unity and
harmony.
 We can possess them if we listen to the voice of
God recorded in the Bible.
 Do you read the Bible?
 If we listen to voices other than God’s, we will
never attain unity and harmony.
 In our meetings, when individuals talk, where do
their ideas come from? From God or from
themselves?

17. Gospel reading: Matthew 3,1-12
 1 In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of
Judea 2 (and) saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand!" 3 It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he
said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the
Lord, make straight his paths.'" 4 John wore clothing made of
camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was
locusts and wild honey. 5 At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the
whole region around the Jordan were going out to him 6 and were
being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged
their sins. 7 When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who
warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce good fruit as
evidence of your repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to
yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can
raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 Even now the ax
lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear
good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I am baptizing
you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is
mightier than I.I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize
you with the holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

18. Gospel reading: Matthew 3,1-12
 1 In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of
Judea 2 (and) saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand!" 3 It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he
said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the
Lord, make straight his paths.'" 4 John wore clothing made of
camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was
locusts and wild honey. 5 At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the
whole region around the Jordan were going out to him 6 and were
being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged
their sins. 7 When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who
warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce good fruit as
evidence of your repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to
yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can
raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 Even now the ax
lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear
good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I am baptizing
you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is
mightier than I.I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize
you with the holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
The focus is on repentance.

19. Gospel reading: Matthew 3,1-12John the Baptist’s preaching
 1 In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea 2 (and)
saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 It was of him that the
prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert,
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'" 4 John wore clothing made of
camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild
honey.
Response of the people (internal)
 5 At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were
going out to him 6 and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they
acknowledged their sins.
Fruits of repentance (external manifestation)
 7 When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said
to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to
yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children
to Abraham from these stones. 10 Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the
fire.
The coming of the Lord
 11 I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me
is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the
holy Spirit and fire.
His coming to give judgment
 12 His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his
wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

20. Gospel reading: Matthew 3,1-12
John the Baptist’s preaching
 1 In those days John the Baptist
appeared, preaching in the desert of
Judea 2 (and) saying, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah
had spoken when he said: "A voice of
one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare
the way of the Lord, make straight his
paths.'" 4 John wore clothing made of
camel's hair and had a leather belt
around his waist. His food was locusts
and wild honey.
Response of people (internal)
 5 At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the
Jordan were going out to him 6 and
were being baptized by him in the
Jordan River as they acknowledged
their sins.
Commentary
 John the Baptist (JB) preaches
repentance.
 The reason for repentance: the
kingdom of heaven is at hand. V.2
 Note: Matthew avoids mentioning
the name of God (he talks of the
kingdom of heaven, not kingdom of
God).
 In v.3, Matthew interprets Isaiah’s
prophesy as fulfilled in JB.
 This is an assertion of the Christian
right to interpret OT texts. Mt does
this many times.
 “Prepare ye // make straight…”
 V.4 describes John’s attire: camel’s
hair, leather belt, exotic food.
 Vv.5-6 show the positive response of
ordinary people, not just a few, but a
big crowd (all Judea, whole region).

21. Fruits of repentance (external)
 7 When he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming
to his baptism, he said to them,
"You brood of vipers! Who warned
you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce good fruit as evidence of
your repentance. 9 And do not
presume to say to yourselves, 'We
have Abraham as our father.' For I
tell you, God can raise up children
to Abraham from these stones. 10
Even now the ax lies at the root of
the trees. Therefore every tree that
does not bear good fruit will be cut
down and thrown into the fire.
The coming of the Lord
 11 I am baptizing you with water,
for repentance, but the one who is
coming after me is mightier than I. I
am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the holy
Spirit and fire.
His coming to give judgment
 12 His winnowing fan is in his
hand. He will clear his threshing
floor and gather his wheat into his
barn, but the chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire."
 V.7 indicates the many Pharisees and
Sadducees going for baptism.
 They too repent.
 The Pharisees and the Sadducees are
both religious groups but different from
each other.
 JB’s preaching involves judgment for
the unrepentant.
 In v.8, JB challenges them to show their
sincerity (good fruit).
 In v.9, salvation does not come from
affinity to Abraham.
 V.10 affirms the importance of bearing
good fruit, not just a fruit without quality.
There is judgment for not bearing good
fruit.
 V.11 introduces the coming of the
Messiah, who is mightier than JB.
 JB is not worthy to be his servant.
 JB baptizes with water; Jesus with Holy
Spirit and fire (more dynamic, dramatic,
more powerful, more consuming)
 V.12 brings back judgment raised in
v.10.

22. Reflections on the gospel reading
 In this season of Advent, God calls us to
repentance.
 Repentance is turning away from sin and
doing what is good.
 God demands that we bear good fruits.
 Without repentance (metonoia), we cannot
welcome the Lord. We are not worthy to
appear before him.

23. Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
 The first reading announces the coming of the great
one to rule the world.
 The psalm celebrates the coming of the just Messiah.
 The second reading reminds the Christians to live in
unity and harmony (for the coming of the Lord).
 The gospel reading is emphatic on repentance (to
prepare the way) to avoid judgment.

24. How to develop your homily / sharing
 How do we prepare for Christmas, for the coming of the Lord?
 Shopping, decors, caroling, e-cards, gift-giving, food, parties,
etc.
 How should we prepare according to the readings?
 We prepare according to what we know about who is coming.
 Our preparations depend on how much we know / believe /
consider / love the one who is coming.
 Who is coming to us that we should prepare seriously with joy
and enthusiasm in this season of Advent?
 According to the 1st reading, the one who is coming is:
 A leader, of royal descent, possesses the spirit of God, spirit
of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, etc.
 A judge to reward the good and punish the wicked.

25.  According to the second reading, he comes from God and
Father, who desires unity and harmony.
 He represents God in dealing with the Gentiles. He
ministers the uncircumcised (Gentiles, nations).
 He fulfills the promises of God made to our fathers
(Abraham, Isaac and Jacob).
 According to the gospel reading, the one who is coming is
Jesus himself, the one who establishes the kingdom of
God (of heaven).
 He is God-sent, authorized by God to impose his rule in
the world.
 He is mightier than John the Baptist, who has been
mighty and charismatic enough to draw crowds from all
walks of life, including many religious intellectuals and
spiritual leaders.

26.  In other words, in modern parlance, the one
who is coming is much greater than Obama,
Ophrah, Billy Gates, Queen Elizabeth and the
kings and queens of our times.
 Jesus Christ is far greater than any of the
presidents, prime ministers, senators,
congressmen, cabinet members, and 5-star
generals.
 Jesus Christ is greater than any high paying
CEO, BOT chairpersons, etc.
 Jesus Christ is greater than Cardinal Tagle, the
CBCP, the AMRSP, Pope Francisand your
priests.

27.  So, who are we not to prepare for his coming?
 Who are we to take his coming for granted?
 He is coming to change the world, to impose
God’s terms, to establish his kingdom awarding
the good and punishing the wicked.
 Who are we not to repent and to bow down
before his presence?
 Who are we not to tremble at his words and
commands?

28.  When we realize who Jesus really is, and
what he is up to, our preparations will take a
different direction.
 More emphasis on spiritual renewal, on
human relationships, on justice, peace and
harmony…
 Less emphasis on externals (pormahan,
pagandahan)
 Each God-fearing head of the family will see
to it that his/her family will celebrate a
meaningful and joyful Christmas through the
recognition of this GREAT ONE in the
eucharist.

29.  In the eucharist, we humbly recognize the presence
of God in our midst.
 In the eucharist, we concede that Jesus must take
hold of our lives.
 In the eucharist, we submit ourselves to God’s laws
and decrees.
 The eucharist spares us from God’s judgment.

30. Our Context of Sin and Grace
 Materialism
 Hedonism
 Consumerism
 Ignorance of Christ, due
to failure to study the
gospel
 No time to examine
oneself
 Bad confession
 Unrepentant (he will do
it again)
 False leaders
 Advent retreats and
recollections
 Repentance, metanoia
 Good confession
 Joins advocacies
 Strong sense of justice,
righteousness and equity
 Spiritually prepared to meet
God
 Ready to die

31. Suggested Songs
 Make Straight the Path
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWlq2ouoEMg
 The King of Glory
 O Come Emmanuel

32.  Dear sisters and brothers,
 Let's prepare for the Lord's coming. He is
somebody.
 Fr. Cielo