Christ the King

Almighty, everlasting God, Who in Thy beloved Son, King of the whole World, hast willed  to restore all things anew; grant  in Thy Mercy that all the families of nations, rent asunder by the wounds of sin, may be subjected to His most gentle rule. Who with Thee lives and reigns World without end. Amen.

 

The Church ends the Liturgical year with the Solemnity of Christ the King (34Th Sunday of the year).  With great joy we celebrate Christ the universal King.  Our  Victorious King, our Lord and our Redeemer.  The King of all who are on the side of truth and listen to His voice.

 

 The Sunday after this great Solemnity begins the new Liturgical year of the Church- THE SEASON OF ADVENT.

Christ the King

Almighty, everlasting God, Who in Thy beloved Son, King of the whole World, hast willed  to restore all things anew; grant  in Thy Mercy that all the families of nations, rent asunder by the wounds of sin, may be subjected to His most gentle rule. Who with Thee lives and reigns World without end. Amen.

 

The Church ends the Liturgical year with the Solemnity of Christ the King (34Th Sunday of the year).  With great joy we celebrate Christ the universal King.  Our  Victorious King, our Lord and our Redeemer.  The King of all who are on the side of truth and listen to His voice.

 

 The Sunday after this great Solemnity begins the new Liturgical year of the Church- THE SEASON OF ADVENT.

REFLECTIONS FOR ADVENT 2021

THE SEASON OF ADVENT-  A TIME OF PREPARATION AND EXPECTATION.

The season of Advent is a time of preparation for  Christmas ( the birth of Christ). It is a preparation with a pure heart to meet the Messiah who comes to redeem us. “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Matthew 5: 8). It is a time of preparation through sincere repentance, avoidance of sin in all its aspects. Embracing good and doing good to all especially to those who hate us and treat us badly.

Advent is a period of expectation with faith and great confidence in God. It entails expectation with absolute trust in God and total abandonment to His holy will. It is an expectation with courage and strong decision to live faithful to the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church. It is a call for daily sincere efforts to fulfil joyfully all the duties of our states of life.

 

Usually, the season of Advent begins on Sunday that falls between the 27th of November and the 3rd of December each year. This year 2021, the season of Advent begins on Sunday the 28th of November and ends on Friday the 24th of December.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

MARY’S CHILD: THE PRINCE OF PEACE.

CHRIST, THROUGH HIS INCARNATION COMES TO FILL THE WORLD WITH PEACE.

The Prophet Micah (5: 1-4) in the first reading foretold of the birth of Christ. The great One to be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the One who will stand and feed His flock with the power of the Lord , with the majesty of the name of His God. And they will live secure, for from then He will extend His power to the ends of the earth. For He Himself will be peace.

The Psalmist (Ps 79:2-3,15-16,18-19) in the response verse 4, prays that “The Lord of host brings us back, let His face shine on us and we shall be saved.

In the second reading (Hebrews 10: 5-10), Christ, on coming into the World said “God, here I am! I am coming to obey Your will” …. And this will was for us to be saved by the offering of His body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.

In the holy Gospel (Luke 1: 39-44) we were presented with the scene of our lady’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. The miraculous effects of that gracious visit to all the members of Zechariah’s household. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit through the presence of Christ in Mary and exclaimed with a loud voice: “Of all women you are the most blessed and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?  For from the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled”

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ Your Son was made known by the message of an  Angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

MARY’S CHILD: THE PRINCE OF PEACE.

CHRIST, THROUGH HIS INCARNATION COMES TO FILL THE WORLD WITH PEACE.

The Prophet Micah (5: 1-4) in the first reading foretold of the birth of Christ. The great One to be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the One who will stand and feed His flock with the power of the Lord , with the majesty of the name of His God. And they will live secure, for from then He will extend His power to the ends of the earth. For He Himself will be peace.

The Psalmist (Ps 79:2-3,15-16,18-19) in the response verse 4, prays that “The Lord of host brings us back, let His face shine on us and we shall be saved.

In the second reading (Hebrews 10: 5-10), Christ, on coming into the World said “God, here I am! I am coming to obey Your will” …. And this will was for us to be saved by the offering of His body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.

In the holy Gospel (Luke 1: 39-44) we were presented with the scene of our lady’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. The miraculous effects of that gracious visit to all the members of Zechariah’s household. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit through the presence of Christ in Mary and exclaimed with a loud voice: “Of all women you are the most blessed and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?  For from the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled”

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ Your Son was made known by the message of an  Angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.

Today is a day of festival. Let us rejoice  and exult with all our hearts. Let us sing and shout for joy with Christ, the Lord of the Dance, who  brings us the Good News of our redemption, and renews us by His love.

 

The prophet Zephaniah (3: 14-18) in the first reading exclaims that believers should shout for joy, rejoice and exult with all our hearts for great in our midst is the holy One, the King of Israel who has come to save us. The victorious warrior who will exult with joy over us  and will renew us in His love.

In the second reading (Philippians 4: 4-7) St. Paul expresses his desire that Christians should always   be happy. To let our tolerance be evident to everyone; the Lord is near.  Indeed, there is no need to worry; but if there is anything we need, we pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving. And that the peace of  God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will  guard our hearts and our thoughts in Christ Jesus.

 

In the holy Gospel, we notice that all the people were asking John the Baptist about what they must do and he gave them several ways of giving up their bad behaviours and turning t God with repentant hearts. A great feeling of expectation was growing among the people as they imagined John to be the Christ. With great humility and sincerity, John declared openly that he was not the Christ. Explaining further that he is baptising with water but the Christ , the great One is coming who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. And that he John, is not fit to undo the  strap of His sandals.

 

Let us pray:

O! God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s nativity, enable us, we pray to obtain the  joy of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God , for ever and ever. Amen. 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THE JOY OF SALVATION

As we await and celebrate with joyful hope that “Day of the Lord” when His work in us will be complete, we rejoice in the marvels God has worked for us in sending us His mercy and forgiveness and calling us to share His glory.  

 

In the first reading the Prophet Baruch ( 5:1-9) invites Jerusalem and all of us to put off the dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God  and wrap the cloak of the  integrity of the glory of God around us. The Lord in His merciful love will turn everything for our good and  will guide us in joy by the light of His glory with His mercy and integrity.

 

In the second reading (Philippians 1: 3-6, 8-11), St. Paul encourages the Philippians and indeed all of us and prays that our love for each other will continue to increase more and more and that we never stop improving our knowledge and deepening  perception  so that we can always recognise what is best. Since this will help us to become pure and blameless, and prepare us for the Day of Christ, when we will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.

The Gospel of St Luke ( 3: 1-6) presents  the image of John the Baptist proclaiming a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. With reference to the Prophet Isaiaih, he invites to prepare  a way for the Lord  and make His path straight through reconciliation with everyone, and total amendment of our life.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out to meet Your Son, but may our learning of heavenly  wisdom gain us admittance to His company.

Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THE JOY OF SALVATION

As we await and celebrate with joyful hope that “Day of the Lord” when His work in us will be complete, we rejoice in the marvels God has worked for us in sending us His mercy and forgiveness and calling us to share His glory.  

 

In the first reading the Prophet Baruch ( 5:1-9) invites Jerusalem and all of us to put off the dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God  and wrap the cloak of the  integrity of the glory of God around us. The Lord in His merciful love will turn everything for our good and  will guide us in joy by the light of His glory with His mercy and integrity.

 

In the second reading (Philippians 1: 3-6, 8-11), St. Paul encourages the Philippians and indeed all of us and prays that our love for each other will continue to increase more and more and that we never stop improving our knowledge and deepening  perception  so that we can always recognise what is best. Since this will help us to become pure and blameless, and prepare us for the Day of Christ, when we will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.

The Gospel of St Luke ( 3: 1-6) presents  the image of John the Baptist proclaiming a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. With reference to the Prophet Isaiaih, he invites to prepare  a way for the Lord  and make His path straight through reconciliation with everyone, and total amendment of our life.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out to meet Your Son, but may our learning of heavenly  wisdom gain us admittance to His company.

Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THEME: OUR HOPE AND TRUST IN CHRIST IS OUR LIBRATION FROM FEAR.

The Prophet Jeremiah (33:14-16) in the first reading invites  us to live with integrity and practise honesty. To dwell with confidence in the land of the Lord which He gave to us out of His loving kindness. And  to dwell in peace with all.  In the same line of thoughts,  St. Paul appeals to us in the second reading ( 1Thes 3: 12-42) to make more progress in the kind of life that we are meant to live; the life that God wants as we learnt from his teachings and those of all the other Apostles. And above all, never to forget the instructions given to us on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the holy Gospel, our Lord said to His disciples and to all of us that there will be great signs in the sun and moon and stars ; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves, men dying of fears as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of  heaven will be shaken. And then the Son of Man will be seen coming in a cloud with power and great glory to bring our libration.

In His  merciful love, our Lord encourages us to stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.

Beloved brethren, may  true wisdom be our guide and lead us to follow Christ with  great confidence. May His Words inspire us and His love for us encourage and strengthen us to love Him and keep His Commandments especially that of loving all even our enemies as He did. May we be giver of mercy so that we will be receivers of mercy both in time and in eternity. Amen.

Jesus, I trust in Thee.

 

PRAYER:

Grant your faithful, we pray you, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at His coming, so that, gathered at His right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God , forever and ever. Amen.

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