Advent Wreath Scripture Reading:
Malachi 3:1-4
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”Christmas is intended to be a transforming event, not a lovely interlude in business as usual. What we do in Advent in preparation for Christmas will be our means of getting ready for a new way of looking at life -- a new way of living.
Reflection
Christmas is intended to be a transforming event, not a lovely interlude in business as usual. What we do in Advent in preparation for Christmas will be our means of getting ready for a new way of looking at life -- a new way of living.
The Prophet Malachi speaks of a messenger:
. . one who will prepare the way of the Lord
. . . one who reminds us of the covenant of God
. . . . one who refines and purifies us in faithfulness
How then do we prepare to be transformed by the coming of the Lord?
. . by allowing the light of hope to awaken our spirits?
. . . by making room for the Lord to write the covenant on our hearts?
. . . . by living in gratitude for what we receive in the Lord?
. . by allowing the light of hope to awaken our spirits?
. . . by making room for the Lord to write the covenant on our hearts?
. . . . by living in gratitude for what we receive in the Lord?
If we prepare ourselves by renewing our covenant with God,
then we will be truly transformed as Christ comes again into our lives.
then we will be truly transformed as Christ comes again into our lives.
Candle
Lighting Liturgy
See,
I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, says the Lord
of hosts.
The light of hope has awakened our spirits.
A voice cries out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
Renew in us your covenant, O God, that we may be ready for the dawn of your salvation.
We light a second candle to bring light to every darkness, and to guide us in the way of peace.
With gratitude for your light, O God, we will prepare to welcome a new birth of your love.
The light of hope has awakened our spirits.
A voice cries out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
Renew in us your covenant, O God, that we may be ready for the dawn of your salvation.
We light a second candle to bring light to every darkness, and to guide us in the way of peace.
With gratitude for your light, O God, we will prepare to welcome a new birth of your love.
First Reading: Luke 1:68-79
“Praise be to the
Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to
his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn
of salvation for us
in the house of his
servant David
(as he said through his
holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our
enemies
and from the hand of
all who hate us—
to show mercy to our
ancestors
and to remember his
holy covenant,
the oath he swore
to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the
hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to
serve him without fear
in holiness and
righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will
be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on
before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the
knowledge of salvation
through the
forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender
mercy of our God,
by which the rising
sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those
living in darkness
and in the shadow of
death,
to guide our feet into the
path of peace.”
Second Reading: Luke
3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of
the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of
Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of
Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during
the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to
John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the
country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of
Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling
in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the
Lord,
make straight paths
for him.
Every valley shall be
filled in,
every mountain and
hill made low.
The crooked roads shall
become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see
God’s salvation.’”
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