Advent - Reconciliation

focus for gathering:

  
Change your attitude  

REPENT & BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS!

     In the Advent season we are cramped in by the pace of events - traditional Christmas preparations and end-of-year wind-ups.
Trying to manage this time differently - seems almost impossible.
It shows up the danger of living by the standards and customs of the popular mind.
Our awareness can be dulled about the possibility of another kind of world!

leader:

An Advent Reconciliation
offers us the opportunity
to re-think our way of living
and about adopting new ways of acting.
The reading which we will hear shortly;
- a repeat of last Sunday's gospel -
promises a new reality:
a new land;
a new city;
a new community
and a new arrangement
of power in our society!!
Hearing this rich material,
gives us freedom to act
in new, free and trustful ways:
to exercise the virtue of hope
for ourselves
and for our world!

leader:

Friends, we look forward
to celebrating Christ's coming
at Christmas.
Let us pray,
that when Christ comes,
He may find us ready
to receive Him:...
( pause for silent prayer:... )
Be among us,
O holy Spirit of God:
bring us to wholeness and peace;
make our world new!
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You,
One God, now and always.   AMEN

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Week 1:

( 30th Nov - 7th Dec )

LUKE 21 : 25 - 28. 34 - 36

"... Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.".

Week 2:

( 9th Dec - 14th Dec )

LUKE 3 : 1 - 6

"A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the LORD, make His paths straight; every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low; winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth."...

Week 3:

( 16th Dec - 21st Dec )

LUKE 3 : 10 - 18

When all the people asked John, 'what must we do?' he answered, "If anyone has two tunics they must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same"...

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First Week of Advent

     Something like a sense of hopelessness confronted Jesus in his meeting with the people of Jerusalem. And this at the very time that hope of a genuine newness was coming - for those who could read its signs! Jesus declares that everything takes place within the time of the present generation (Lk.21:32-33). According to Luke the present generation can be sure that the final count-down in world events has begun. It will be brought to fulfillment soon -- but Jesus' words will not pass away with these changes. The language suggests an enduring quality to the validity of these words, "for every generation".
     Whatever misleading signs or false promises of fulfillment are current before the coming of the Human one, it remains true that the Day of the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly (Lk.21:34-35)! It will catch everyone unawares! Disciples must not be absorbed in worldly worries that will distract them from the need for constant vigilance and prayer in the face of constant temptations to give-up on working for God's saving justice in their practice. A vibrant expectation of the coming of God's reigning holds such temptations at bay (Lk.21:36).

Second Week of Advent

     Hearing the Word of God is a moment of subversion and ambiguity.  Like Paul's disciples in Philippi, we hold together our old failing and largely unexamined world, along with a new hopeful world of promise voiced by God's agents -- the prophets and the apostles.  In such moments God's newness is given.
     The moment of worship, when we hear and participate in the divine action, is precious.  It makes serious change in our lives possible.  The Word of God invites us to turn away from our old world.  The essential attitude is to abandon our self-sufficient ways and recognise our need to be profoundly touched by the One who is to come and about whom the prophets alert us!

Third Week of Advent

     John the Baptist spoke of the need for a society to change.  Great crowds came to the Baptist for baptism, to have their sins forgiven.  John says to them, "Change society to make it clear you are converted!"  The crowds were satisfied with mere rituals.  John speaks about creating a society where people are equal.  He asks them to change a system where some people have a great deal and others have the cards stacked quite differently.  The attitude of the wealthy, who have many shirts, houses, lands, cars and factories, must change.  Luke uses the Greek word, laos (the people) to speak about those who heard John's message as a call for real change.
      The 'crowd' remained selfish.  John called them dangerous snakes!  Tax men purchased the right to collect and in turn they employed subordinates to carry out their work.  Abuses were common.  Like soldiers they were hated and despised.  John's advice to them is, "No stealing! Be simple, fair and just! No self-aggrandisement at another's expense!"  This is "smoothing the way of the Lord!"  Later Zacchaeus volunteers such an attitude without having to be told (Lk.19:8).  John's preaching emphasises that people are not to depend on the rules of the scribes or the moralising of the Pharisees.  The Pharisees held certain jobs to be degrading.  The Baptist up-graded jobs to the level of human responsibility.  No one was to be 'written off' as beyond changing their attitude.  When Jesus comes He will repeat in various ways much of what John says.

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leader:

We remember Jesus' words
which repeat the Baptist's;
"Repent and believe the good news."
Let us pray for our needs
and the needs of the world:

1:

For leaders of the Christian community.
That they will know Christ's coming
as they promote unity among Christians.
God of peacemakers, hear us:

ALL:

2:

That our national leaders.
That they will know Christ's coming
as they find new opportunities
to build a culture of life.
God of life, hear us:

ALL:

3:

For the sick.
That they will know Christ's coming
through our words of hope
and our deeds of caring.
God of healing, hear us:

ALL:

4:

For babies about to be born.
That they will know Christ's coming,
by their birthing
into a community of support
for their reaching their full humanity.
God of Completions, hear us:

ALL:

5:

For us gathered here.
That we will know Christ's coming.
through our sincere sorrow
for all the hurt we have done
and for which we are confident
that we have been forgiven.
God of mercy, hear us:

ALL:

Leader:

O God, ever faithful,
Your paths are love and truth.
Help us to understand our inner lives
and keep us vigilant in loving
on the path which leads to You.
We make these prayers
in Jesus' name.

ALL:

AMEN.

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ALL:

I CONFESS TO ALMIGHTY GOD
AND TO YOU MY BROTHERS & SISTERS...

ALL:

OUR FATHER...

Individual Confessions

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leader:

Let us pray: . . ,
God of mercy,
on the first day of creation
You made the light
that scatters all darkness.
Let Christ, the light of lights,
shine on us and free us
from the darkness of sin.
   ( Sprinkling with Holy Water )
May we keep safe
the gift Your love once gave us in Baptism
and which Your mercy now restores.
We ask this through Jesus Christ
whom You send.   AMEN.

Fill our lives with good works
as we go out to meet your Son,
so that we may give Him a fitting welcome.
We make this prayer in Jesus' name.
Now and always.   AMEN.

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