{"id":182723,"date":"2015-12-05T12:38:52","date_gmt":"2015-12-05T18:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=182723"},"modified":"2015-12-05T21:50:24","modified_gmt":"2015-12-06T03:50:24","slug":"sunday-says-podcast-december-6-2015-mass-readings-and-reflections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/sunday-says-podcast-december-6-2015-mass-readings-and-reflections\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Says Podcast – December 6, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SundaySaysPodcast-logo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Second Sunday in Advent<\/p>\n

Lectionary: 6 (NAB Translation<\/b><\/a>)<\/p>\n

Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for December 6, 2015, the second Sunday of Advent.\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you for joining us as we break open the Word of God to prepare our hearts and minds for this Sunday\u2019s Mass.\u00a0 This week’s readings remind us that God has done great things for us in the past and will do great things in the future if we will let Him.\u00a0 We need not focus on the past but in repentance and hope look to the future where he will completely restore us.\u00a0 As always we are using the Jerusalem translation for copyright purpose.<\/p>\n

Reading 1<\/b><\/p>\n

Baruch 5:1-9<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Our first reading is from the book of Baruch in the Old Testament.\u00a0 Baruch served as a scribe to the Prophet Jeremiah and in this passage he provides encouragement to the Israelites who were tempted to despair.\u00a0 Because of their sins, God had allowed them to be taken into captivity by the Babylonian Empire.\u00a0 However, like the New Testament story of the Prodigal Son, the Father\u00a0 will allow them to return home and will joyfully welcome them by removing obstacles.\u00a0 He says, “Though they left you on foot, with enemies for an escort,\u00a0now God brings them back to you like royal princes<\/i> carried back in glory.”\u00a0 This is the truly the message of the Gospel which is always a message of restoration.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Responsorial Psalm<\/b><\/p>\n

Psalm 126:1-6<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reading 2<\/b><\/p>\n

Philippians 1:4-6,8-11<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

This week\u2019s second reading is from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians.<\/p>\n

One of the prominent features of this letter is the Apostle’s joy over the conversion of the Philippians as well as their generosity of heart which was a fruit of their conversion.\u00a0\u00a0 This passage contains the remarkable gift of hope that is so central to the Gospel when it says “I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes.”\u00a0 In other words, if we let Him, God will finish what He started and through Christ will continue the restoration process he began in us at our baptism or conversion.\u00a0 Paul’s prayer that our love for each other may increase and that we improve in knowledge and perception is to prepare us for the coming “Day of Christ.”\u00a0 Advent is the liturgical season that the Church gives us to focus our hearts on the coming “Day of Christ,”\u00a0 and to put into practice the charity that is a reflection of our own conversion.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gospel<\/b><\/p>\n

Luke 3:1-6<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

In this week\u2019s Gospel from St Luke we see very clearly that John the Baptist came at a particular point in history to prepare the world for the message of the Messiah.\u00a0\u00a0 Luke concretely names who the political and religious rulers were at the time in order to make clear the historical reality of the events that were to take place.\u00a0\u00a0 John the Baptist, as the link between the Old and New Testaments has become the “voice in the wilderness,” ushering in a new era and the corresponding fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.\u00a0\u00a0 The promise of Advent is that Christ is coming to redeem the world and to restore all things in glory to Himself.\u00a0\u00a0 The challenge of Advent is to be alert and prepared, to repent of our sins, to ask the Lord to increase our faith and thus remove all barriers to the divine grace that Christ is bringing.\u00a0\u00a0 In this way the mountains are leveled and the Lord’s path\u00a0is made straight and all mankind may see the salvation of God.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gospel Meditation from Bishop V\u00e1squez<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflection question<\/b><\/p>\n

Today, the Lord invites us to \u201crepentance for the forgiveness of sins.\u201d Level and straighten the road to the Lord. Salvation is God\u2019s work and is freely offered. Repentance, turning away from what separates us from God, is our work for which God supplies the grace. Our lives, like the liturgy, are words connected with actions. We must say \u201cYes\u201d to God in word and action. What are the mountains, valleys and obstacles that prevent us from an encounter with the Lord?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Second Sunday in Advent Lectionary: 6 (NAB Translation) Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for December 6, 2015, the second Sunday of Advent.\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you for joining us as we break open the Word of God to prepare our hearts and minds for this Sunday\u2019s Mass.\u00a0 This week’s readings remind us that God has done… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[258],"tags":[215,55,50,37,1732,330,266,131,491,598],"class_list":{"0":"post-182723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sundaysays","7":"tag-bible","8":"tag-catholic-2","9":"tag-faith","10":"tag-gospel","11":"tag-homily","12":"tag-jesus","13":"tag-liturgy-of-the-word","14":"tag-mass","15":"tag-scripture","16":"tag-theology","17":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":188668,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/sunday-says-podcast-december-20-2015-mass-readings-reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":182723,"position":0},"title":"Sunday Says Podcast – December 20, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflections","author":"Steve Scott","date":"December 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Fourth Sunday in Advent Sunday December 20, 2015 Lectionary: 12 (NAB Translation) Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for December 20, 2015, the fourth Sunday of Advent.\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you for joining us as we break open the Word of God to prepare our hearts and minds for this Sunday\u2019s Mass.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42878,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/sunday-says-podcast-december-8-2013-mass-readings-reflections-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":182723,"position":1},"title":"Sunday Says Podcast \u2013 December 15, 2013 Mass Readings and Reflections","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"December 15, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"[powerpress] \u00a0 Third Sunday of Advent December 15, 2013 (Jerusalem Bible Translation) Lectionary: 7 (New American Bible Translation) Gaudete! - Rejoice! Rejoice! This is Gaudete Sunday,the Sunday of rejoicing of God\u2019s people. This is \u00a0the day we start to light the rose or pink candle on the Advent wreath. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunday Says Podcast","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":42611,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/11\/sunday-says-podcast-december-1-2013-mass-readings-reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":182723,"position":2},"title":"Sunday Says Podcast \u2013 December 1, 2013 Mass Readings and Reflections","author":"Steve Scott","date":"November 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"[powerpress] First\u00a0Sunday in Advent Sunday December 1, 2013\u00a0(Jerusalem Translation) Liturgy of the Word (NAB Translation)\u00a0\u00a0Lectionary: 1 Each year we cycle through the liturgical seasons in order to contemplate God\u2019s mysteries again and again, that over time we may gain a deeper level of \u00a0understanding of these mysteries and that the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SundaySaysPodcast-logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo1-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43036,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/sunday-says-podcast-december-22-2013-mass-readings-reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":182723,"position":3},"title":"Sunday Says Podcast \u2013 December 22, 2013 Mass Readings and Reflections","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"December 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday December 22, 2013 Fourth Sunday of Advent (NAB translation) Lectionary: 10 \u00a0 We are now in the fourth Sunday of Advent, and Christ is near. 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