December 8, 2024 – Second Sunday of Advent

Our Great Journey

The theme is “Prepare the way…!” based on Luke 3:1-6, 34-36 / Lucas 3:1-6

Opening Prayer

Lord, Jesus Christ, we await your Second Coming as we prepare for your First Coming at Christmas. Be near to us as we light the second candle of our Advent wreath. As this light grows brighter, we are reminded that you are with us in Word, in Sacrament, in your Church, in the faces of those in need and our love for each other. Amen.

In addition to our prayers from the heart, our prayer for December is The Apostle’s Creed. Please pray this prayer daily to learn it. (At Mass, we pray the Nicene Creed which was written after the Apostle’s Creed. We typically pray the Apostle’s Creed at the beginning of the rosary. Click to learn more about the differences between the Apostle’s & Nicene Creeds.)

Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.

Things to talk about:

John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming of Jesus. Why was it important for people to prepare for his coming? What did John ask them to do?
If Jesus was coming to your house, what would you do to prepare?
Name some leaders in our world who set a good example of how we should live and treat others.
The Messiah came to set things right in the world. If Jesus’ earthly ministry happened today, what would he “set right” in the world?

Things to do:

Add a purple scarf and Advent wreath to your prayer space or in a visible space in your home for this season of Advent. As you begin to decorate, don’t put baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve. If you have 3 Kings have them begin their journey in a different room from the manger and travel closer each week.
Discuss the changes you see in the décor at Church.
Holy, Holy, Holy is a prayer that we sing with all the angels and saints in heaven. Listen to the words of this prayer. What does is say about God?
· On December 12, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Watch this video together and discuss.
· December 8 is a holy day of obligation to commemorate the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Since it is Sunday this year, the Mass will be on December 9. The Immaculate Conception is the patron for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Read more about Mary! usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/advent/upload/twim-advent-immaculate-conception.pdf

Closing Prayer

Prepare a simple reconciliation service in preparing the way… Gather around the Advent wreath and read Luke 3:1-6. Pray silently, asking God to forgive his/her sins. Celebrate God’s forgiveness by sharing the sign of peace. Plan to attend Confession if you haven’t done so already this Advent.
Name those who need our prayers.

Catholic Insights

This week and next, our Gospel readings invite us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel.

The evangelist Luke is the author of the Gospel that bears his name, and he also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a continuation of the story of Jesus and the Church. In these two works, Luke’s sense of time and history emerges. He identifies three epochs of salvation history: the time before Christ, the time of Christ, and the time of the Church and the Holy Spirit.

In this Gospel, John the Baptist is presented as the figure who bridges the time before Christ and prepares the way for Christ’s own ministry. Luke’s attention to political and historical detail shows that salvation is for all people and situated in world events. Therefore, Luke lists the political and religious leaders at the time of John’s appearance in the desert.

John’s preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of Advent. As his message prepared the way for Jesus, we too are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming. We respond to John’s message by repentance and as prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives the coming of the Lord. Prepare the way…

Did you know… an angel came to Zechariah to tell him his wife Elizabeth was going to have a son? Zechariah doubted and was left unable to speak. He remained speechless until 8 days after John was born. His speech came back when he wrote, “John is his name.”

Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection