2nd Sunday of Advent – December 5, 2021

2nd Sunday of Advent – December 5, 2021

Adv2C21.     Baruch 5:1-9.   The prophet Baruch calls upon Jerusalem to rejoice because God will bring the Hebrews back from captivity, “for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory.”

Psalm 126 goes on to see the captives actually returning to Jerusalem with the Hebrews saying, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

Luke 3:1-6.  John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord Jesus by “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”  “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”  God was to come into our world as one of us humans to bring the love of his divinity to us in way we could understand.  In the Old Testament God’s presence brought joy to his people.   That joy is brought to a pinnacle in the New Testament in the person of Jesus, God made man.  We rejoice that he frees us from our captivity to sin so that we may be united to him in his holiness.

Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11.  Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it.”  The Lord does great things so that we all “may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”  The Lord enables us to pass through a world of seductive temptations to one day be totally united to him in heaven.