Themes for the 1st Sunday of Advent Year A

The readings for the 1st Sunday of Advent Year A speak of readiness for the coming of Jesus Christ. In the first reading we hear that God will establish His kingdom and we must be ready to walk in the light of God. In the second reading Paul warns us to be awake. In the gospel Jesus warns us not to be unprepared, as people were in the days of Noah. This is a time to prepare for our Lord to come into our hearts.

• Be awake
• Be ready
• Be prepared to work
• Things which are temporary vs permanent
• Walking in the light

Last Call! It's hard to believe, but time is drawing close (Next Saturday) for the St. Nicholas Day Fair,(December 3), and vendors are signing up. Last year we ran out of cookies at the walk, and could have sold more. There are some types that freeze well, and the church has a large freezer just for that purpose. There has been the first drop-off to the freezer, sooooo.. think about it. :-)

Also, once more we will be offering home made soups. If you would like to contribute a pot/crockpot of soup that would be great. We also sold out on soup last year!

This year the Center for Action and Contemplation is offering a four-day retreat in Advent, (Dec. 8-11), given by Jim Finley, one of the core faculty at the Living School at the Center, (which I was lucky enough to attend). Jim is a well-known teacher and guide in the practice of contemplative prayer. I intend to make the retreat. I thought, as several of you subscribe to the Center's daily meditations online, others here at St. Mary's may want to take part.

There is a cost, which the Center offers at various levels, and also offers help if you cannot afford it. Being an online retreat the cost of travel and accommodation is not present, which is a large part of the cost of an in-person retreat. If people would like to participate, but feel the various cost levels are prohibitive, let me know, and the Rector's Discretionary Fund may be able to help. That's what it is there for.,

If others are attending, then, perhaps, it could be the start of an ongoing group here at St. Mary's. As the last session is a Sunday afternoon, we could watch it as a group after the 10:00 AM liturgy.

Link to Jim Finley's Retreat on Prayer

Link for those who may want to receive the Daily Meditations from the Center. When you open today's page you'll see a button on top, "Sign Up"

The Collect

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament

Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come

the mountain of the Lord’s house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

Many peoples shall come and say,

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.’

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,

and their spears into pruning-hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob,

come, let us walk

in the light of the Lord!



The Psalm

Psalm 122

Laetatus sum

1 I was glad when they said to me, *

"Let us go to the house of the Lord."

2 Now our feet are standing *

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is built as a city *

that is at unity with itself;

4 To which the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord, *

the assembly of Israel,

to praise the Name of the Lord.

5 For there are the thrones of judgment, *

the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *

"May they prosper who love you.

7 Peace be within your walls *

and quietness within your towers.

8 For my brethren and companions' sake, *

I pray for your prosperity.

9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, *

I will seek to do you good."

The Epistle

Romans 13:11-14

You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Link to Fr. Plant's Gospel Study and Advent Season

The Gospel

Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

This week's reflection from "At the Edge of the Enclosure"