Year 35 No.
22 1st Sunday of Advent (C) — Violet
A lmost two years into the
pandemic, many of us
are beginning to experience
“caution fatigue.” It has
become tiring to be alert and
careful all the time, donning
our facemasks and observing
a long list of health and safety
protocols. Consciously or
not, we start to let our guard
down and become more
complacent until we realize
that the deadly virus is still
very much here or has in fact
hit us. These past months, we
have been living a very long
Advent, waiting for the day
when the world will be free
from Covid-19. We have been
counting on the vaccines, but
emerging variants of the virus
have frustrated our hopes.
We have done our part, even
done our best. Yet until now,
we are still waiting, and we
are tired of it.
Waiting is wearisome
because nobody likes the
feeling of uncertainty. We
do not know what will come
November 28, 2021
Allergic to Advent?
by Leo-Martin R. Ocampo, OP
or when. Suspense can be
thrilling to watch, but no
one would ever wish to
experience being caught in
such a situation. Waiting is
tiring because we are not
in control, and that causes
us a lot of stress. How we
wish we could do something
to influence or hasten the
outcome. Yet, when all is
said and done, all that is
left to do is wait, which can
be very unnerving. Waiting
is disheartening because
it requires trust. And for
those of us who have been
disappointed so many times
or even betrayed, it is not easy
to trust again.
In today’s readings, we hear
the Lord’s beautiful promises:
a just leader who will do what
is right (against the backdrop
of our coming national
elections!), the Messiah who
will return. We can stand erect
and raise our heads because
our redemption is at hand.
But, we may protest, we have
heard these before. We had
hoped in them and longed
for their fulfillment. Yet until
now, we are still waiting, and
we are tired of it.
As Advent begins, we are
invited to believe in God’s
plan for us, even if sometimes
he may begin to sound like
many of our politicians and
their empty promises. The
Lord understands that waiting
is never easy, so he gives
us Advent—this school of
waiting, this school of hope—
even when we have almost
become allergic to it. When
we have grown bitter and
cynical, he makes us dream
again and inspires us to aspire
and work for the coming of
God’s Kingdom. The apostle
Paul prays that the Lord make
us “increase and abound in
love for one another and for
all” (Second Reading).
Most likely, the elections
next year will not solve the
problems of our country. But
a new leadership can be a
step forward, no matter how
small, as we continue to wait,
hope, and work.
 THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Cf. Ps 25 [24]:1–3)
(Recited when there is no opening song.)
To you, I lift up my soul, O my
God. In you, I have trusted; let
me not be put to shame. Nor
let my enemies exult over me;
and let none who hope in you
be put to shame.
Blessing of Advent Wreath
(The blessing of the Advent Wreath and
the lighting of the first candle may be
made after the entrance song, with the
following or similar prayer:)
P—Our help is in the name of
the Lord.
All—Who made heaven and
earth.
P—Lord God, your Church
joyfully awaits the coming of
its Savior, who enlightens our
hearts and dispels the darkness
of ignorance and sin.
Pour forth your blessings
upon us as we light the candles
of this wreath (+); may their light
reflect the splendor of Christ,
who is Lord, for ever and ever.
All—Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Candle
P—Father, as we begin our
Advent pilgrimage, we light a
candle of hope. Grant us the
courage to hope: hope for your
presence, hope for your peace,
hope for your promise.
All—Amen.
Greeting
(The sign of the cross is made here.)
P—Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
All—And with your spirit.
Introduction
(These [or similar words] may be used
to address the assembly.)
P—Today, we open a new
liturgical year. Advent, which
means “coming,” is a time
of preparation for the Lord’s
coming. The Gospel for this
First Sunday of Advent invites
us to be awake and prepared.
May we have this disposition
as we start a new stage of our
pilgrimage.
Penitential Act
P—Brethren (brothers and
sisters), let us acknowledge our
sins, and so prepare ourselves to
celebrate the sacred mysteries.
(Pause)
P—Have mercy on us, O Lord.
All—For we have sinned against
you.
P—Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
All—And grant us your salvation.
P—May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
All—Amen.
P—Lord, have mercy.
All—Lord, have mercy.
P—Christ, have mercy.
All—Christ, have mercy.
P—Lord, have mercy.
All—Lord, have mercy.
(During Advent, the Gloria is omitted.)
Collect
P — Let us pray. (Pause)
Grant your faithful, we pray,
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
3. All the paths of the LORD are
reigns with you in the unity of
kindness and constancy/ toward
the Holy Spirit, God, for ever
those who keep his covenant
and ever.
and his decrees./ The friendship
All — Amen.
of the LORD is with those who
fear him,/ and his covenant, for
Liturgy of the word
their instruction. (R)
First Reading (Jer 33:14–16) (Sit)
Jeremiah’s oracle is about the
Messiah who will rise from the
house of David. This is fulfilled
in Jesus who is descended from
David according to the flesh and
the Son of God, who, by virtue of his
resurrection, will establish justice.
A reading from the Book of
the Prophet Jeremiah
THE DAYS are coming, says the
LORD, when I will fulfill the
promise I made to the house
of Israel and Judah. In those
days, in that time, I will raise
up for David a just shoot; he
shall do what is right and just
in the land. In those days Judah
shall be safe and Jerusalem shall
dwell secure; this is what they
shall call her: “The LORD our
justice.”
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 25)
R—To you, O Lord, I lift my
soul.
E. C. Marfori
A7 D Bm Em
        

To you, O Lord, I
A D
 
3
    
lift my soul.
1. Your ways, O LORD, make
known to me;/ teach me your
paths,/ guide me in your truth
and teach me,/ for you are God
my savior,/ and for you I wait
all the day. (R)
2. Good and upright is the
LORD;/ thus he shows sinners
the way./ He guides the humble
to justice,/ and teaches the
humble his way. (R)
Second Reading
(1 Thes 3:12—4:2)
Paul teaches us the right attitude to
prepare for the Lord’s coming: living
a life of uprightness and of love for
one another.
A reading from the first Letter of
Saint Paul to the Thessalonians
BROTHERS AND SISTERS: May
the Lord make you increase
and abound in love for one
another and for all, just as we
have for you, so as to strengthen
your hearts, to be blameless in
holiness before our God and
Father at the coming of our
Lord Jesus with all his holy
ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort
you in the Lord Jesus that, as
you received from us how you
should conduct yourselves to
please God—and as you are
conducting yourselves—you
do so even more. For you know
what instructions we gave you
through the Lord Jesus.
—The word of the Lord.
All —Thanks be to God.
Alleluia (Ps 85:8) (Stand)
All—Alleluia, alleluia. Show
us, Lord, your love; and grant
us your salvation. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Gospel (Lk 21:25–28, 34–36))
P—A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Luke
All—Glory to you, O Lord.
JESUS said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun,
the moon, and the stars, and on
earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the
sea and the waves. People will
die of fright in anticipation of
what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens
will be shaken. And then they
will see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great
glory. But when these signs
begin to happen, stand erect
and raise your heads because
your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts
do not become drowsy from
carousing and drunkenness and
the anxieties of daily life, and
that day catch you by surprise
like a trap. For that day will
assault everyone who lives
on the face of the earth. Be
vigilant at all times and pray
that you have the strength to
escape the tribulations that are
imminent and to stand before
the Son of Man.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
All—Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Homily (Sit)
Profession of Faith (Stand)
All—I believe in one God,
the Father almighty, maker of
heaven and earth, of all things
visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the Only Begotten Son of
God, born of the Father before
all ages. God from God, Light
from Light, true God from
true God, begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were
made. For us men and for our
salvation he came down from
heaven, (at the words that follow, up
to and including and became man,
all bow) and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin
Mary and became man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, he suffered
death and was buried, and
rose again on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and
is seated at the right hand of
the Father. He will come again
in glory to judge the living and
the dead and his kingdom will
have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life, who
proceeds from the Father and
the Son, who with the Father
and the Son is adored and
glorified, who has spoken
through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church. I confess
one Baptism for the forgiveness
of sins and I look forward to
the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to
come. Amen.
Prayer of the Faithful
P—Let us draw near to the heart
of our heavenly Father that in
this season of Advent, we may
awaken from our unfaithfulness
and neglect. With hearts full
of trust, we pray:
R—Lord, hear our prayer.
C—That the leaders of the
Church may tirelessly encourage
and empower the flock entrusted
to them in their faithfulness
witnessing to the Gospel values.
We pray: (R)
C—That government officials
and those who are in public
office may devotedly protect
the sacredness of life and the
dignity of all human persons.
We pray: (R)
C—That our country and our
people may rise above the
challenges of the Covid-19
pandemic, and be given the
grace of healing, protection, and
confidence to continue living in
hope. We pray: (R)
C—That all of us gathered today
may be of one mind and heart
in helping our needy brothers
and sisters, those who are least,
last, and lost in our community.
We pray: (R)
C—That our departed brothers
and sisters may rest in God’s
dwelling place and be given
the promises of the resurrection.
We pray: (R)
C—Let us pray for the urgent
concerns of our community
and our personal intentions
(pause). We pray: (R)
P—Heavenly Father, listen to
the prayer of your people. May
the coming of Christ find us
steadfast in faith, joyful in hope,
and untiring in love.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord.
All—Amen.
Liturgy of
the eucharist
Presentation of the Gifts
(Stand)
P—Pray, brethren…
All—May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of
all his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P—Accept, we pray, O Lord,
these offerings we make,
gathered from among your
gifts to us, and may what you
grant us to celebrate devoutly
here below gain for us the prize
of eternal redemption.
Through Christ our Lord.
All—Amen.
Preface I of Advent
(The two comings of Christ)
P—The Lord be with you.
All—And with your spirit.
P—Lift up your hearts.
All—We lift them up to the Lord.
P—Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God.
All—It is right and just.
P—It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give
you thanks, Lord, holy Father,
almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For he assumed at his first
coming the lowliness of human
flesh, and so fulfilled the design
you formed long ago, and
opened for us the way to eternal
salvation, that, when he comes
again in glory and majesty and all
is at last made manifest, we who
watch for that day may inherit
the great promise in which now
we dare to hope.
And so, with Angels and
Archangels, with Thrones and
Dominions, and with all the
hosts and Powers of heaven, we
sing the hymn of your glory, as
without end we acclaim:
All—Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God
of hosts. Heaven and earth are
full of your glory. Hosanna in
the highest. Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.(Kneel)
Acclamation (Stand)
All—When we eat this Bread
and drink this Cup, we proclaim
your Death, O Lord, until you
come again.
THE COMMUNION RITE
The Lord’s Prayer
All—Our Father…
P—Deliver us, Lord…
All—For the kingdom, the
power and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Invitation to Peace
Invitation to Communion
(Kneel)
P—Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away
the sins of the world. Blessed
are those called to the supper
of the Lamb.
All—Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
(Ps 85 [84]:13)
The Lord will bestow his bounty,
and our earth shall yield its
increase.
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)
P—Let us pray. (Pause)
May these mysteries, O Lord,
in which we have participated,
profit us, we pray, for even now,
as we walk amid passing things,
you teach us by them to love
the things of heaven and hold
fast to what endures.
Through Christ our Lord.
All—Amen.
THE CONCLUDING RITES
P—The Lord be with you.
All—And with your spirit.
Solemn Blessing
P—Bow down for the blessing.
(Pause)
May the almighty and
merciful God, by whose grace
you have placed your faith in
the First Coming of his Only
Begotten Son and yearn for his
coming again, sanctify you by
the radiance of Christ’s Advent
and enrich you with his blessing.
All—Amen.
P—As you run the race of this
present life, may he make you
firm in faith, joyful in hope,
and active in charity.
All—Amen.
P—So that, rejoicing now with
devotion at the Redeemer’s
coming in the flesh, you may be
endowed with the rich reward
of eternal life when he comes
again in majesty.
All—Amen.
P — And may the blessing of
almighty God, the Father, and
the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain
with you for ever.
All—Amen.
Dismissal
P—The Mass has been offered.
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord
by your life.
All—Thanks be to God.
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