SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR C)
SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 8, 2024
THE SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is transferred and celebrated on Monday, December 9, 2024.
SAINT ANDREW’S CHRISTMAS NOVENA
[The Saint Andrew’s Christmas Novena prayer below is traditionally prayed 15 times a day from November 30, the Feast of Saint Andrew, through Christmas Eve.]
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH [Please see link to this article below]
THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]
PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? [Please see link to this article below]
THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? [Please see link to this article below]
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Second Sunday of Advent!
On this Feast day, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we pray for God’s grace and mercy and for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world and we continue to remember the souls of the faithful departed and the souls in Purgatory. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful ù peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
*Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | December 8, 2024 |
Watch “POPE FRANCIS HOLY MASS WITH THE NEW CARDINALS” | LIVE FROM THE VATICAN | DECEMBER 8, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | December 8, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | December 8, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 8, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” oùn YouTube |
https://youtu.be/QAZKMbwZrEQhttps://youtu.be/QAZKMbwZrEQ
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |
Today’s Bible Readings: Second Sunday of Advent (Year C) | December 8, 2024
Reading 1, Baruch 5:1-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Reading 2, Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Gospel, Luke 3:1-6
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/03/the-liturgical-year-in-the-catholic-church/
THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/21/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/
THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/
PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/15/purgatory-and-limbo/
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT: Today, the second Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to prepare our hearts in faithful waiting, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and ready ourselves for His second coming. It’s a beautiful chance to reflect on the ways prophecy has been fulfilled and to ponder what the future (promised to us through prophecies) will bring. As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ arrival as a gift to all humanity, let’s stir up in our hearts and homes a sense of anticipation. May God’s spirit transform the days leading up to Christmas into a time of holy anticipation; preparing our hearts, as we peacefully and faithfully await the chance to celebrate the arrival of our king.
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT MEANING AND SYMBOLISM: The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming.” The tradition for the second Sunday of Advent includes lighting the second purple candle that is a symbol of faith. This second Sunday of Advent we read, pray, and reflect on the hope God’s plan gives us (foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and death of Christ), and we meditate on the promise of Christ’s coming glory-filled return. As we light the second advent candle, may God’s spirit prepare our heart to receive Jesus as our king. May God’s grace abound in our life in this season of holy anticipation. This week, we pause to remember who God is and what He has done for us. When our lives are hurried, we only have the chance to focus on our to-do lists. Making space in our schedules for prayer and meditation helps us to better see God at work in our lives and in our world.
The second candle of Advent is called the “Angel Candle” and symbolizes peace. This name comes from the fact that the angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace (Luke 2:14). This week we are reminded that Jesus came to bring peace to our hearts and to our world!
PRAYER FOR PEACE FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT:
A PERSONAL PRAYER FOR PEACE: Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
Lord, I invite your peace to rule my heart! As I end this year and reflect on your many gifts you have given me; let my heart be encouraged with the truth that you are a good God. I thank you for sending your Son to die for me. I thank you for the peace I have through you. May my words and actions be ones that glorify you. Amen 🙏
A PRAYER FOR PEACE FOR OUR WORLD:
Psalm 29:11 says, “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”
Lord, would you bring your strength and peace to your people! Would your presence be felt by all who seek you in a powerful way in this Advent season. Turn the hearts of mankind towards you. We pray that the lost turn to you and find an unshakable peace that nothing else in this world can offer. Amen 🙏
THE ADVENT WREATH: SECOND WEEK PRAYER: The prayer that follows is to be repeated each day of the second week. After the prayer, the oldest child lights the first and second purple candles.
LEADER: O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds. Through Christ our Lord. ALL: Amen.
(The two candles are allowed to burn during the evening meals of the second week.)
SAINT ANDREW PRAYER
Beginning on the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30th), the following beautiful prayer is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas. This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.”🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS
Bible Readings for today, Second Sunday of Advent (Year C) | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 3:1–6
“All flesh shall see the salvation of God”
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Today’s Gospel reading details the story of the baptism and works by St. John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist was the one whom God had sent into our midst right before the coming of the Saviour in order to prepare His way and to call on us all mankind to welcome Him properly and worthily. And hence, he called on all of the people to repent and turn away from their many sins, and to commit themselves anew to the Lord, a commitment which was symbolised by their willingness to be baptised at the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist. The baptism of St. John is the first step for them to come and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness, to be reconciled once again with their Lord and Master. In the Gospel reading, John the Baptist, in calling on people to repent, was asking them to think about where their lives were going, and to redirect their lives towards God. In calling on people to turn away from sin and turn towards God, St. John also reminded them that God was turned towards them and was journeying towards them on a great highway. St. John was really saying that God’s journey towards them was far more important than their journey towards God. However, St. John reminded the people that if God was to enter their lives, they needed to create a space for God, to make way for God, filling the valleys and levelling the hills of the heart, so that God could enter their lives unhindered. Advent reminds us that the really important journey in life is God’s journey towards us. God comes to us through His Son. Our Advent prayer, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, recognizes that. We may not always know where we are going, but the Lord knows where he is going. We are his destination, and He comes to us on a broad highway with no congestion. The Lord comes to us for a purpose, to guide us towards life. The first reading expresses that in a striking way, ‘God will guide Israel in joy by the light of His glory’. The Lord comes to take us in the direction He desires for us, towards what the second reading calls ‘perfect goodness’. The Lord journeys towards us to take us somewhere we could never reach if left to ourselves. St. Paul recognizes this in the second reading when he says, ‘I am quite certain that the one who began this good work in you will see that it is finished’. The Lord comes to us to complete His good work in our lives, to take us on a journey towards goodness, and thereby, life. In reminding us of the Lord’s journey towards us, Advent calls on us to make a way in our lives for the Lord’s coming. There may be valleys and hills in our lives that make it difficult for the Lord to come to us and to accomplish in us what He wants for us. For various reasons, we can keep the Lord at a distance. We can be slow to admit Him, whenever He comes and knocks. Like Simon Peter we might be tempted to say, ‘Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful person’. Our realization that our lives are not all they could be can leave us wanting to keep the Lord at a distance, out of fear of what he might say to us. Yet, St. Paul reminds us today, that the Lord comes not in judgement but in love. He tells the Philippians that he, Paul, loves them as Christ Jesus loves them. The Lord comes to us in love, not to quench the smouldering wick or to crush the bruised reed, but to complete the good work he has begun in us.
Advent invites us to open our lives to the Lord’s coming. From time to time a John the Baptist or a Paul can enter our lives and help us to receive the Lord’s coming. We need such people on our life’s journey, people who see the good in us that we often do not see in ourselves, who ‘recognize what is best’ in us, in the words of the second reading, who appreciate the good work that the Lord is doing in our lives, even if that good work is far from finished. Those who see us in this way, thereby help us to receive the Lord’s coming, and free us to go in the direction the Lord wants to take us. Today’s gospel reading speaks of a voice crying in the wilderness, the voice of John the Baptist. His voice is a voice of hope, announcing the coming of the Lord through the wilderness and declaring that all flesh will see God’s salvation. The Lord is always coming into our lives to do his good work, including into our our own wilderness experiences. The Lord’s coming is assured; what’s asked of us is that we prepare the way, create a space, for his coming. This is Advent good news and it empowers us to be hopeful people.
In our first reading this Sunday, the Lord spoke to His people, the Israelites through His prophet Baruch. The prophet Baruch came among the Israelites to minister to them during the time at the ending and final years of the Kingdom of Judah, to a people that had been suffering a lot of struggles and hardships amidst their inability and failures to obey the words and commandments of the Lord. He was the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah who had laboured and struggled for many long years against all those who resisted the Lord’s warning and orders. He helped Jeremiah whenever the latter had to hide from the scrutiny and attack by his enemies, helping him to proclaim the words of the Lord to His people. According to tradition, both the prophet Baruch and Jeremiah endured the final years of the kingdom of Judah and they were there when Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed by the forces of the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. Both of them were also brought by some rebels among the people into exile in the land of Egypt, and there together with Jeremiah, the prophet Baruch continued to speak of the words of the Lord’s assurance to His people, reminding them all that their time of sufferings and hardships will eventually come to an end. God would gather them all back from those places that they had all been scattered and exiled to, and He would restore them once again to a state of happiness and joy, with peace and harmony in their midst, no more war and conflicts and all the things that they had endured and suffered.
In our second reading this Sunday from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Philippi, the Apostle’s words reminds the faithful there of the great love and grace that they all have received from God and which He has done for all of them through His most Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, through Whom the salvation for all the whole world has been assured to us. His coming into our midst has brought forth the revelation of what God has intended for each and every one of us, guiding and leading us all into the path towards our reconciliation and reunion with God, as He taught us all how to live our lives more worthily of the Lord, in purifying ourselves from all the evils and wickedness that had afflicted us previously in our lives.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday, we focus on the Theme of Peace, the second of the four themes we commemorate this Advent on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. If last Sunday we remind ourselves that Advent is the sign of God’s Hope being manifested to us all through His Son, which is what Christmas is all about, then this Sunday we focus our attention on the Peace that our Saviour, our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, has brought into our midst. The coming of the Lord as the Prince of Peace, at His Second Coming at the end of time will herald the era and time of eternal peace, where no more conflict, struggles, wars and hardships will exist anymore around us, unlike what we are facing and dealing with in this world of ours in the present day just as how it had been in the past. This Sunday we celebrate the occasion of the Second Sunday of Advent as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent in preparation for the coming of Christmas. During this time of Advent, all of us focus our attention upon the expectation of the coming of God’s salvation, both commemorating His earlier coming and appearance in this world which had happened two millennia ago, as well as the promised Second Coming of Christ, which we have been assured and foretold, and therefore we prepare ourselves spiritually and in other means so that we may be truly ready to welcome the Lord as He comes again into our midst, dwelling among us and within us all, our Hope and our Salvation. May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, the Master of Peace and Harmony bring us all into His loving and peaceful embrace. May He empower each and every one of us so that we can continue to live in true peace and harmony, and make this as the emphasis and focus of our upcoming celebrations of Christmas. Let our Christmas joy and celebration be truly meaningful and let us all celebrate Christmas with the right emphasis and intention so that they do not become empty joy and superficial jubilation just as how many of the secular Christmas celebrations all around us may show us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may all of us continue to grow ever stronger in our faith in the Lord and may all of us be always reminded of the love and kindness which God, our Lord and Master has always had for us. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINT OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT PATAPIOS, HERMIT ~ FEAST DAY – DECEMBER 8TH: On this special feast, the Second Sunday of Advent, we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Patapios, Hermit. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and all the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ during this season of Advent. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 🙏🏽
*SAINT PATAPIOS, HERMIT: St. Patapios (4th c.) was born in Thebes, Egypt. His parents were prominent Christians, and his father was the governor of the region. St. Patapios was well-educated by the best tutors, and his learning awakened in him a desire to shun the world and its materialism and seek a life of asceticism. Inspired by the manner of life of the Church Fathers, St. Patapios became a desert hermit upon his father’s death. He later moved away to live in a cave near Corinth, and then sailed to Constantinople to live as a simple monk in the Monastery of Blachernae. There he fasted, prayed, and performed miracles until his death at the age of 83. In the early 20th century, a local priest planning renovations discovered his relics after the saint appeared to him in a dream and informed him where they were located. His relics were found the next day holding a large wooden cross on his chest and a parchment scroll bearing his name. St. Patapios’ feast day is December 8th.
St. Patapios, Hermit ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF DECEMBER:
MONTH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Chosen before time to be the Mother of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, God created Mary perfect and full of grace, preserving her from the stain of Original Sin. Mary Immaculate is the most beautiful fruit of the work of redemption accomplished by her Son, thereby making her the perfect model of holiness for all Christians.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER – FOR PILGRIMS OF HOPE: We pray that this Jubilee Year strengthen our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and that it may transform us into pilgrims of Christian hope.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024
PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints during this special season of Advent, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all parents, all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians. For the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners and Christians all over the world. Amen 🙏
Let us pray:
Lord, I turn to You in my need and repent of the many lies and false promises of satisfaction in this world. Please free me from all that is not of You so that my soul will be more fully prepared to soak You and Your mercy up like a gentle rain upon a dry and barren desert. I open myself to You, my Lord. Come fill and satiate my soul. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe….have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Patapios, Hermit ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled Sunday 2nd Week of Advent and week🙏
Blessings and love always, Philomena💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
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