Advent -- He is Coming!

"We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom.

In general, whatever relates to our Lord Jesus Christ has two aspects. There is a birth from God before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fullness of time. There is a hidden coming, like that of rain on fleece, and a coming before all eyes, still in the future.

At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming he endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming he will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels.

We look then beyond the first coming and await the second. At the first coming we said: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. At the second we shall say it again; we shall go out with the angels to meet the Lord and cry out in adoration: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

The Saviour will not come to be judged again, but to judge those by whom he was judged. At his own judgement he was silent; then he will address those who committed the outrages against him when they crucified him and will remind them: You did these things, and I was silent.

His first coming was to fulfil his plan of love, to teach men by gentle persuasion. This time, whether men like it or not, they will be subjects of his kingdom by necessity.

The prophet Malachi speaks of the two comings. And the Lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple: that is one coming.

Again he says of another coming: Look, the Lord almighty will come, and who will endure the day of his entry, or who will stand in his sight? Because he comes like a refiner’s fire, a fuller’s herb, and he will sit refining and cleansing.

These two comings are also referred to by Paul in writing to Titus: The grace of God the Saviour has appeared to all men, instructing us to put aside impiety and worldly desires and live temperately, uprightly, and religiously in this present age, waiting for the joyful hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Notice how he speaks of a first coming for which he gives thanks, and a second, the one we still await.

That is why the faith we profess has been handed on to you in these words: He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

Our Lord Jesus Christ will therefore come from heaven. He will come at the end of the world, in glory, at the last day. For there will be an end to this world, and the created world will be made new."

Catechism, St Cyril of Jerusalem, cira 350 A.D.
Office of readings, First Sunday of Advent Second Reading

Merry Christmas

Set to scenes from The Nativity Story... O Holy Night - by Josh Groban. Video Created by Youtube channel Tonycdrive.

Celebrate Christ's Mass

and

Keep Christ in Christmas.

















Click here forMass times and places




HT for video: Dymphna's Road

He is Coming

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 reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Collect 1st Sunday of Advent, New Translation.

Good Friday: Were you there?

Song: "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"
Song by: Tatiana (I Thirst)-album
Movie Scenes: "The Passion of the Christ"
Directed by: Mel Gibson
20th Century Fox Film






Related
Forsaken
Good Friday
God Does Not Wait
Movie Review: The Passion of the Christ

What Child is This? Sung by Mahalia Jackson

Second Sunday of Advent

First reading: Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11
Psalm: Psalm 84:9-14
Second reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14
From Agnus Day



Gospel: Mark 1:1-8




Almighty and merciful God,
may no earthly undertaking hinder those
who set out in haste to meet your Son,
but may our learning of heavenly wisdom
gain us admittance to his company.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever .
Collect 2nd Sunday of Advent, new Translation.

First Sunday of Advent

First reading: Isaiah 63:16-17,64:1,3-8
Psalm: Psalm 79:2-3,15-16,18-19
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

From Agnus Day

Gospel: Mark 13:33-37



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 reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Collect 1st Sunday of Advent, New Translation.








A Happy Advent and Merry Christmas to one and all. The side bar has links to previous years Christmas postings. In Advent we prepare for the coming of Jesus, to celebrate his first coming at Christmas and to prepare for His Second Coming.

Resurrection

Jesus said: I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.  Mathew 16:18



HT: Orthodox Net


Related: The Traitor

What Wondrous Love is This?

HT: Donald R. McClarey at The American Catholic

Have mercy on me, Oh God according to thy steadfast love

Today we begin Lent - the preparation for the celebration of the Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For though we have sinned we are confident that God’s grace is not simply sufficient, but abundant beyond all need in bringing us not just forgiveness but a restoration to the life of Christ.

The side bar has my previous Lent and Easter posts.

Have mercy on me,
O God, according to thy steadfast love;
according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in thy sight,
so that thou art justified in thy sentence
and blameless in thy judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Fill me with joy and gladness;
let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart,
O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence,
and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors thy ways,
and sinners will return to thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
O God, thou God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.

O Lord, open thou my lips,
and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
For thou hast no delight in sacrifice;
were I to give a burnt offering,
thou wouldst not be pleased.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
broken and contrite heart,
God, thou wilt not despise.Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices,


Psalm 51 RSVCE

Christmas Starts With Christ

A Happy Advent and Merry Christmas to one and all. The side bar has links to previous years Christmas postings. In Advent we prepare for the coming of Jesus, to celebrate his first coming at Christmas and to prepare for His Second Coming.

Passion

This is Holy Saturday, the saddest day of the Liturgical year; Christ has died, but is not raised. The Apostles, their leader crucified, at least one a traitor, scattered and hiding make their way back to the Upper Room. A tragedy too deep to understand the Savior’s words promising the Resurrection, that will come later, now is the loss of dreams and hope.

Thus it is a good day to comment on Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ. Even though there is a Resurrection scene it leaves us emotionally on Holy Saturday.

The story is easy to lose in the violence. Satan is confronting the Messiah, and throws all in his possession to defeat God’s Anointed and bring mankind totally into the void of evil. Violence upon violence is thrown to defeat Jesus by pain, despair, and hopelessness and finally death. The actions of the crowds and soldiers become more and more inchoate and violent. Satan is smirking more and more as the end comes near. Despite this some good remains, Mary Jesus’ mother, and Mary Magdalene, Veronica, Simon the Cyrine and ultimately the Centurion. But the violence goes on. - - - Finally Satan's victory, Jesus dies. - - - But wait - the tear of God washes clean. The temple veil is torn. The curses of the old law have been fulfilled. We see Satan cry in protest as he realizes he is defeated. On the third day, though the Apostles and disciples have yet to realize it, Christ will be Risen.


It is sometime said that the movie is an episode, not a story, and it should include more of the life of Christ, that this one episode does not give the full context. A reasonable comment from those who are not part of the Church. But I think that it is only an episode, the central episode, is how it should be seen. For in the Church the story of Christ is told throughout the year and the story of the Crucifixion is told in Lent and especially on Good Friday. In the Church the rest of the story of Jesus gives context to Good Friday, but even more importantly Good Friday and Easter give context to the rest the story.


The importance of this movie is not in Mr. Gibson’s heroic struggle to get it produced, or in the record box office that rewarded his efforts. The importance is that every year, even when the rest of the world has forgotten about it, in theaters, church basements, on home video, late night cable the Christian Church will be brought back to the Central story of the Christian faith. The rest of year, the story of Jesus no matter how well or poorly told will be presented in the context of the Crucifixion and Resurrection to reaffirm our faith, build our hope, and light the charity of Christ in our hearts.


While the movie described by some as a means of evangelization, I think it is more for the Catacombs, so that no matter how the Church may be scattered, until God in His grace restores her or Jesus comes again, the story of what Jesus did for us will be told with strength and clarity. For

Though Christ has died

On Easter Christ is raised

And Christ will come again!