Dress to God's Word / "Liturgical Dress": 1st Sun. of Advent

November 30, 2014: 1st Sunday of Advent

'Heart' tie bar: Why do you let us harden our hearts? (1st reading)

'Eyeball' tie pin: no eye has seen any God but you doing such deeds (1st reading)

'Hand' tie pin: We are the work of your hands (1st reading); protect what your right hand has planted (psalm)

'Grapes' pin: Take care of this vine (psalm)

'Rooster' pin: You don't know whether the lord will come at night, at cockcrow, or in the morning (gospel)

Purple shirt; see also guest dressers below: Advent season

Listen

For 1st reading, gospel, and season

Redeemer Lord/ Foley (1st reading)
Abba, Father/ Landry (1st reading)
O come, O come, Emmanuel: Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Pentatonix a cappella, instrumental (please don't breathe between "Emmanuel" and "shall")
People, look east/ Farjeon (Morning has broken composer) (normally done later in Advent, but it fits today's gospel)
Ready the way/ Stephan

For psalm

Save us, O Lord/ Dufford

Lord, make us turn to you: Angotti, Haugen, Marchionda

Pope Francis "Turkey day"

Joint with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew: We seek unity of all Christians. We'll promote dialogue and reconciliation towards peace in the Middle East. There's an ecumenism of suffering. Today's challenges require the solidarity of all of good will. Respectful dialogue with Islam is important.

Mass at Istanbul Cathedral: Christians, throw off your defensiveness, move away from your comfort zone, and be led by the Holy Spirit.

Post-Divine Liturgy: I seek communion with the Orthodox Churches. Authentic dialogue is encounter between persons with names, faces, and pasts, not just ideas. Vatican II acknowledges Orthodox and Catholic Churches are intimately joined, sharing sacraments and apostolic succession (Unitatis Redintegratio 15). We must preserve and support Eastern Churches' patrimony, including liturgical and spiritual traditions and canonical discipline (15-16); that's love-inspired welcoming of God's gifts, not submission or assimilation. The poor, victims of conflicts, and young people all implore us to live more deeply as Christ's disciples....

To refugees: The degrading conditions so many refugees are forced to live in are intolerable, but don't be discouraged. With God's help, hope, despite difficulties and obstacles. Were with you. God doesn't forget any of his children, and the smallest and suffering are closest to him.

Read

Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 You're our father, our redeemer. Why do you let us wander and harden our hearts? Rend the heavens, return, and work awesome deeds. Would that you meet us doing right! None call on you, for you've hidden, yet you're our father, the potter, and we the clay, work of your hands.

Today we start the Sunday "Year B"
and weekday "Year 1"
cycles of Bible readings
(animate)

Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 "Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved." Shepherd of Israel, come save us. Take care of this vine you planted. Give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

1 Cor 1:3-9 I thank God for the grace bestowed on you, enriching you in every way. He'll keep you firm and irreproachable. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son.

Mk 13:33-37 “Be alert! You don't know when the time will come; it's like a traveler who leaves home and orders the gatekeeper to keep watch. May the Lord not come suddenly and find you sleeping. Watch!”

Reflect

"Be alert; the world needs more lerts." —Woody Allen (couldn't resist)

Guest dressers: St. Bede choir members
Max, Linda, Jamie, and Joe
(More dressers)

Creighton: I don't like to wait. How am I to wait? Waiting is focused on the future, looking forward to a new time and experience. Advent is a time of waiting, anticipation, expectation, joy, and preparation for the coming of Jesus, and a time to seek and find him here and now. There's nothing better! Advent is a season to practice awareness, noticing and being present to God.

One Bread One Body: "Adventageous Adventure": "[Advent] teaches us Christ's coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us" (St. Charles Borromeo, Office of Readings, Monday, 1st week, Advent). Our preparation is important for God's kingdom, the Church, the world, the future, our families, and ourselves. "We should be as prepared for this coming of Christ as if he were still to come into this world" (Charles Borromeo).

Passionist: What would the world be like if everyone said, "Yes" to the Divine Potter and let him shape and form us into the image and likeness of Christ? God's word, body, and blood form and nourish us. Take a cue from Mary who said Yes to God: say Yes/Amen at Mass and in daily life.

DailyScripture.net: When someone you love and miss promises to return, you anticipate the return and send messages saying how much you long to be reunited. / When landowners traveled, they left their estates in stewards' hands; dutiful servants prepared for their return by keeping the estate in good order. / When we expect something important, we wait eagerly; Jesus expects us to keep watch for his return in glory. / We live in the end times, between Jesus' first and second coming. Do I watch and wait for the Lord's coming with joyful hope? Am I ready for his action and grace now?