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Year 25 No. 25

3rd Sunday of Advent (B) Violet

issalette
December 11, 2011

DontAMBUHAY
Quench the Spirit!
issalette
A

ST PAULS MEDIA pastoral ministr y

midst the ridiculous hohoho disturbed also because we, too, suffered as much as he did. And
of Santas, those American easily forget in these hectic days yet, he is filled with joy. Why not
caricatures of the great bishop of feasting, malling, and shopping we?
It all depends on whether we
St. Nicholas, amidst the glittering what this season is all about.
Christmas lights everywhere and
Why this disturbance, all this put our trust and hope in God
the noisy Christmas par ties, excitement and rejoicing, even in like Mary did, like St. Paul did.
Then, even in difficult times when
todays Gospel leads us out todays liturgy?
into the Judean wilderness to
While we in our society are problems cause a storm at the
surface,
meet a strange hippie-like
man. looking
forward
to the celebration
pastoral
ministr
y we can rejoice always
ST PAULS
MEDIA
After about four hundred years of Christmas, the liturgy invites us deep within. Yes, the texts we hear
of prophetic silence, there had to look back to the One who came today remind us that true joy and
appeared again one who reminded after John, whose sandal straps happiness are to be found only in
the people of the great prophets he felt not worthy to untie; to the God. If we are not finding our joy
of old, of Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, One who baptized us with the and happiness in God but in some
and others.
Holy Spirit, the cause of real joy, fleeting, shallow parties, we are
Some of the most disturbing not the fleeting worldly joy that under an illusion and sooner or
people who have ever lived, the disappears when the Christmas later we will have to experience
famous Rabbi Abraham Joshua decorations are taken down. Even that this illusion gives way to a
pastoral ministr y
MEDIA
Heschel calls them in ST
his PAULS
book Isaiah
rejoices heartily in the bitter reality, to sorrow and pain.
Maybe we have done what St.
The Prophets.
Lord because he feels that the
And disturbing was this John, spirit of the Lord God is upon Paul warned not to do when he
this Baptizer, who roared like a him (Is 61:10, 1). And St. Paul, writes, Do not quench the Spirit!
lion in the wilderness, calling for filled with Gods Spirit, exclaims, (1 Thes 5:19).
Instead of focusing on the One
repentance, revealing the sins Rejoice always! (1 Thes 5:16).
and crimes hidden behind the
Yes, it is really our vocation as whom the Baptizer announced to
pious facades of the religious Christians, baptized and filled with come after him, the One who filled
leaders and the people of Israel. the Holy Spirit, to rejoice always. us in baptism with the Holy Spirit,
He was so disturbing that even
In the Responsorial Psalm, we we might have focused too much
a delegation from the Jewish also join Mary today in her song on the problems of daily life and
authorities had gone down all the of joy, My spirit rejoices in God so quenched the joy-giving Spirit
in us, the Spirit that can give a
way from Jerusalem to interview my savior.
this strange man and find out who
If Isaiah, Mary, St. Paul, and joy the world, the malls, and the
he was. But he did not volunteer the Baptizer would stand before parties cannot give.
Any unhappiness in life is really
and give a clear answer. He us right now, they would look at
just quoted the great prophet us and ask us some disturbing an experience of the lack of God.
Isaiah and said that he was only questions, for example, You, And God, Christ, has unfortunately
preparing the way for a greater baptized a long time ago with the been pushed little by little out
one who would come after him Holy Spirit, are you filled with real, of Christmas. What a difference
there is between saying Happy
and would baptize not just with lasting joy?
water as he did but with the Holy
You may say: How can I rejoice Holidays and Merry Christmas.
Spirit (Mt 3:11).
always? Life is dif ficult; there Even a pagan celebrates Happy
He had disturbed the autho are so many problems; there is Holidays, but how beautiful it is
rities as well as the simple people so much suffering; there are so to have Christ at the center of a
andeven though today is Gaudete many worrieshow can I rejoice Merry Christmas.
Sunday, the Sunday of Rejoicing always? But look at St. Paul who
Fr. Rudolf Horst, SVD
we should allow ourselves to be wrote this! I think not many have

AMBUHAY

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AMBUHAY

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INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Phil 4:4, 5)

(Recited when there is no opening song)

Rejoice in the Lord always;

again I say, rejoice! The Lord
is near.
Lighting of the Advent
Candles
The lighting of the third candle (rose or
pink) of the Advent wreath may be done
after the entrance song, with the following or similar prayer:

Father, at the height of our

Advent walk, we relight the
candles of hope and peace, and
we light a candle of joy. Grant us
the courage to experience joy in
hope of the Saviors coming: joy
in the face of apathy, joy in the
face of sorrow, joy in the face of
uncertainty. Amen.
Greeting

(The sign of the cross is made here)

P Glory and praise to God

the Father who brings glad
tidings to the lowly and heals
the brokenhear ted. May his
peace and joy be with you all.
All And also with you.
Introduction
P Dear brothers and sisters:
The Third Sunday of Advent is
Gaudete Sunday, a Sunday of
rejoicing. As Christmas draws
near, the readings invite us
to rejoice heartily in the Lord
for his gift of salvation. The
Church, the People of God,
rejoices in salvation from sin,
inviting everyone to rejoice and
create conditions so that the
salvation brought by the Lord
Jesus may be shared by all.
Penitential Rite
P The Eucharist is the
sacrament of Jesus who is one
among us whom we often do not
recognize. How worthy are we
to come before his presence?
(Pause)
P Lord Jesus, you are the
Anointed One who came to
bring glad tidings to the poor
and the brokenhearted: Lord,
have mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.

P Lord Jesus, you are the

Messiah who announced the
year of favor from the Lord:
Christ, have mercy.
All Christ, have mercy.
P Lord Jesus, you are among
us, present in the least of our
brothers and sisters: Lord, have
mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.
P May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our
sins, and bring us to everlasting
life.
All Amen.

I rejoice heartily in the Lord,

in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a
robe of salvation and wrapped
me in a mantle of justice, like
a bridegroom adorned with a
diadem, like a bride bedecked
with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its
plants, and a garden makes its
growth spring up, so will the
Lord G od make justice and
praise spring up before all the
nations.
The word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.

(The Gloria is omitted.)

Responsorial Psalm (Lk 1)

Opening Prayer

R My soul rejoices in my
God.

P Let us pray [this Advent

for joy and hope in the coming
Lord]. (Pause)
Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, ever faithful to your
promises and ever close to your
Church: the earth rejoices in
hope of the Saviors coming
and looks forward with longing
to his return at the end of time.
Prepare our hear ts and
remove the sadness that
hinders us from feeling the joy
and hope which his presence
will bestow, for he is Lord for
ever and ever.
All Amen.
LITURGY OF
THE WORD
First Reading
[Is 61:1-2a, 10-11] (Sit)
The spirit of Gaudete Sunday
is expressed in the words that
Gods messenger addresses to the
brokenhearted Israelites in exile.
God will heal them and bring
them back to their own land.
Jesus will make these words his
own when he begins his public
ministry.
A reading from the Book of
the Prophet Isaiah
THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord has
anointed me; he has sent me to
bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor
from the L ord and a day of
vindication by our God.

sr. m.c.a. parco, fsp

A
F#m E7
c

My soul re- joi-ces in my

c A

God

1 . My soul proclaims the

greatness of the Lord;/ my
spirit r ejoices in God my
Savior,/ for he has looked upon
his lowly servant./ From this
day all generations will call me
blessed. (R)
2. The Almighty has done
great things for me,/ and holy
is his Name./ He has mercy on
those who fear him/ in every
generation. (R)
3. He has filled the hungry with
good things,/ and the rich he
has sent away empty./ He has
come to the help of his servant
Israel/ for he has remembered
his promise of mercy. (R)
Second Reading
(1 Thes 5:16-24)
Paul asks the early Christians
to prepare for the Lords coming
with joy in their hear ts, with
prayer on their lips, and with a
life of holiness.
A reading from the first
Letter of Saint Paul to the
Thessalonians
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
Rejoice always. Pray without
ceasing. In all circumstances

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give thanks, for this is the will of

God for you in Christ Jesus. Do
not quench the Spirit. Do not
despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is
good. Refrain from every kind
of evil.
May the God of peace make
you per fectly holy and may
you entirely, spirit, soul, and
body, be preserved blameless
for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The one who calls
you is faithful, and he will also
accomplish it.
The word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Alleluia [Is 61:1] (Stand)
All Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring glad
tidings to the poor. Alleluia,
alleluia!
Gospel (Jn 1:6-8, 19-28)
P The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
P A reading from the holy
Gospel according to John.
All Glor y to you, Lord.
A MAN named John was
sent from God. He came for
testimony, to testify to the
light, so that all might believe
through him. He was not the
light, but came to testify to the
light.
And this is the testimony
of John. When the Jews from
Jer usalem sent priests and
Levites to him to ask him, Who
are you? he admitted and did
not deny it, but admitted, I am
not the Christ.
So they asked him, What
are you then? Are you Elijah?
And he said, I am not.
Are you the Prophet? He
answered, No. So they said to
him, Who are you, so we can
give an answer to those who
sent us? What do you have to
say for yourself? He said: I
am the voice of one crying out
in the desert, make straight the
way of the Lord, as Isaiah the
prophet said. Some Pharisees
were also sent. They asked him,
Why then do you baptize if you
are not the Christ or Elijah or
the Prophet? John answered
them, I baptize with water; but

there is one among you whom

you do not recognize, the one
who is coming after me, whose
sandal strap I am not worthy
to untie. This happened in
Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
The Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, Lord
Jesus Christ.
Homily (Sit)
Profession of Faith (Stand)

C For our national and local

government officials: may they
become Gods instr uments
in bringing glad tidings to
the poor, the homeless, the
prisoners, the disadvantaged,
and the rebels. Let us pray to
the Lord: (R)
C F o r t h e l o n e l y, t h e
brokenhearted, and all those
who find life burdensome: may
Advent and Christmas bring joy
and hope in their lives. Let us
pray to the Lord: (R)

All I believe in God, the

Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord. He
was conceived by the power
of the Holy Spirit and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was
cr ucified, died, and was
buried. He descended to
the dead. On the third day,
he rose again. He ascended
into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy
Spirit, the holy catholic
Church, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness
of sins, the resur rection
of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen.

C For ourselves: May we

truly become a family and a
community of faith and hope, of
compassion and reconciliation.
Let us pray to the Lord: (R)

Prayers of the Faithful

Prayer over the Gifts

P As we contemplate the
Incarnation of the Son of God,
let us pray to God the Father
that he may give us a joyful
heart so that we can bring his
joy and his goodness to others.
With confidence, we pray:

P Lord, may the gift we offer

in faith and love be a continual
sacrifice in your honor and
truly become our Eucharist and
our salvation.
Grant this through Christ
our Lord.
All Amen.

R Lord, graciously hear

us!
C For the Catholic Church
and all Christian Churches:
may they rejoice in Gods gift
of salvation and strive to create
conditions to ensure that the
power of salvation may be
shared by all. We pray: (R)
C For the Pope, the bishops,
and the clergy, the consecrated
men and women, and lay
leaders: may they ser ve with
love, and find in their ministries
real joy and peace. Let us pray
to the Lord: (R)

P Loving Father, graciously

hear the prayers of your
children. Keep us in your loving
care. May nothing separate us
from you, now and for ever.
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 glor y of
his name, for our good, and
the good of all his Church.

Preface (Advent I)
P The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
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 to give him
thanks and praise.
P Father, all-powerful and
ever-living God, we do well
always and ever ywhere to
give you thanks through Jesus
Christ our Lord.

This copy of Sambuhay is made available through generous donations.

When he humbled himself

to come among us as a man,
he fulfilled the plan you formed
long ago and opened for us the
way to salvation.
Now we watch for the day,
hoping that the salvation
promised us will be ours when
Christ our Lord will come again
in his glory.
And so, with all the choirs of
angels in heaven we proclaim
your glor y and join in their
unending hymn of praise:

All Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of
your glor y. Hosanna in the
highest. Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. (Kneel)

The Church Renewed:

A Vatican II Catechesis
Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

John XXIII: Father of the Council

Angelo Giuseppe Roncali, who took the name John XXIII, was pope from
1958 to 1963. He was the most beloved pope of modern times. His vision of
Vatican II was eloquently expressed in the opening talk he gave to the Council
on October 11, 1962.
Good Pope John, as he was affectionately known, noted that the Council
would bring great joy to Mother Church. He encouraged an attentive reading
of the signs of the times, so that the Church would be more attuned to the
needs of the contemporary world.
Johns positive and optimistic outlook prompted him to say that he disagreed with those prophets of gloom who are always forecasting disaster, as
though the end of the world were at hand.
John definitely put his stamp on the Council, even though he died in 1963
after the completion of only the first of four Council sessions. Paul VI was chosen as his successor and immediately declared the continuation of Vatican II.

Acclamation (Stand)
All Lord, by your cross
and resurrection you have
set us free. You are the
savior of the world.
COMMUNION RITE
The Lords Prayer
All Our Father
P Deliver us, Lord
All For the kingdom, the
power, and the glor y are
yours, now and for ever.
Invitation to Peace
Invitation to Communion
(Kneel)
P This is Jesus at whose
coming we greatly rejoice.
Happy are we who are called to
his communion.
All Lord, I am not worthy to
receive you, but only say the
word and I shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
(See Is 35:4)
Say to the anxious: be strong
and fear not, our God will
come to save us.
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)
P Let us pray. (Pause)
God of mercy, may this
Eucharist bring us your divine

help, free us from our sins, and

prepare us for the birthday of
our Savior, who is Lord for ever
and ever.
All Amen.
CONCLUDING RITE
P The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
Prayer over the People
and Blessing
P Bow your heads and pray
for Gods blessing. (Pause)
Lord, come, live in your
people and strengthen them
by your gift of peace. Help
them to remain close to you in
prayer and open their hearts
that they may care for and love
one another.
Grant this through Christ
our Lord.
All Amen.
P And may the blessing of
almighty God, () the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come upon you and remain with
you for ever.
All Amen.
Dismissal
P The Lord Jesus comes as
one among us. Go in peace
and serve him in others.
All Thanks be to God.

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