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Using the Sunday Readings to reflect on our Journey
in Faith - From 1st to 4th Sunday in Advent Year B
The Season of Advent is just four short weeks; these are weeks of
waiting as the birth of Our Lord and Saviour comes closer and closer.
When we approach a special event the days always seem to run quickly
through our fingers; there is never sufficient time to do everything,
Christmas will soon be upon us and another Advent will have rushed by.
It is essential therefore that we plan our Advent; the readings for this
blessed time need to be respected and treasured.
We are beginning year B of the Lectionary and the first two weeks
feature the Gospel of Mark; Mark’s Gospel does not contain a Christmas
narrative so the final two weeks are given to John and to Luke. The Old
Testament comes mainly from Isaiah with a passage from 2nd Samuel
completing the period. The second readings come from a variety of
sources each with a singular theme; Advent has two faces looking
backwards to the coming of the infant Christ and forward to the final
coming of Christ in Glory.
We begin with the 1st Sunday and the “waiting time”. There is a sense of
vigil about the readings as if the world pauses whilst its destiny is
created by the fulfilment of the promise of God. In our RCIA meetings
we should try to create this sense of waiting on God. The reading from
Isaiah is a call to God to “return for the sake of your servants”. It
speaks to us of the uniqueness of our God who guides his people. Tonight
you could discuss the image of the potter and the clay and how we are all
the work of his hands. Psalm 79 has the same message as the passage
from Isaiah but by using different images speaks clearly of the coming of
Christ with its image of the vine and our pledge that “we shall never
forsake you again”. The second reading from Saint Paul is a word of
praise for the church in Corinth; the letter is two thousand years old but
could have been written to our own church today; Paul’s words are
timeless. Mark’s warning to stay awake can be read as both a personal
warning to each of us of the fragility of life or a warning to the church in
general. Jesus urges us to live each day as if it is our last. How does
your group understand this idea of the second coming of Christ?
In our group we use the second week of Advent to explore the various
characters of the Advent period. The first reading from Isaiah speaks
of a messenger sent to announce the coming of God to His people; in the
New Testament the messenger is clearly revealed as John the Baptist.
Psalm 84 is another wonderful description of the effect of the coming of
Christ into our lives. The second verse speaks of the gifts of God’s
mercy and can lead to fruitful discussion on the kind of world that God
wants us to live in. There was a feeling in the early church that Jesus
would return in glory within the lifetime of his first followers. As time
passed by the early leaders of the church began to speak about this
expectation and how, no matter how long it took, there was still a need to
be faithful and keep doing all the things that Jesus had taught His
followers. Mark’s Gospel begins not with an infancy narrative but with
the appearance of John the Baptist and his call to repentance as a way of
preparing for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is as if Mark
cannot wait to get started on his good news. For those who want to learn
more about the ministry of Jesus, Mark’s Gospel is an ideal starting point.
It is the shortest Gospel but contains a rich and often detailed
description of the life and work of Jesus.
The Third Sunday is Advent is centred on the mission of Christ. Again
Isaiah is the first reading and his words proclaim the manifesto of God.
Often the words of Isaiah are repeated in the New Testament; perhaps
tonight you can ask your group if these words are familiar and remind
them of a passage in the gospels. It would be good to discuss any
examples that can be found of how Jesus fulfils the words of Isaiah in
His ministry. In the second reading Saint Paul gives us an insight into how
the work of the church should be achieved. He tells us to “Be happy at all
times and pray constantly and for all things give thanks to God”; He gives
us rules by which we can follow Christ and assures us that by doing these
things we will live in God’s peace. How powerful are his words of
reassurance “God has called you and he will not fail you”. Last week we
had the opening lines of Mark’s Gospel, today we have a very similar
passage from John’s gospel. If you have time tonight contrast these two
readings. What do they tell us about the very beginning of the mission of
John the Baptist and the promise of the coming of the Messiah? What
does John mean when he speaks of the “light”?
The fourth Sunday is Advent is the prologue to the Christmas Season.
We move to the second book of Samuel for a passage showing the
relationship between King David, the anointed one and how his sovereignty
is secured through Christ and the figure of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Paul speaks to us of a mystery. Paul sees the figure of Jesus as the
fulfilment of the Old Testament covenant. This passage is also a prayer
of thanksgiving to God for revealing to us His purpose through Jesus.
The Gospel reading is from Luke’s infancy narrative; it is the mystery of
the annunciation. Tonight may be your final meeting before the
Christmas break and so this reading is pivotal to a discussion about the
role of Mary in the Christmas story. Build on this passage for tonight’s
meeting and tell the Christmas story through the eyes of the very human
figure of Our Lady whose “yes” to God opened up the path we follow to
Jesus Christ.