Scripture: (Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-2; Micah 5:2-4). Psalm 97:1-6, 11-12 Luke 2:15-20 

Reflection: The first to hear the good news of the Saviour’s birth were not the rulers and religious leaders of Israel who were robed in riches and power. The angels came to humble shepherds to announce the birth of a king who was born in poverty and was now lying in a manger made for animals. After the angels had sung their hymn of glory in the presence of the shepherds, the shepherds went to adore the newborn king and sing their hymn of glory.

In the Christmas Season each year we commemorate past events – the birth of the Messiah—and we celebrate the present reality – Jesus Christ our redeemer who reigns in heaven also lives in our hearts through the gift the Holy Spirit received in our baptism and is in our midst when we gather in his name. We thank God for sending Jesus to us to offer us forgiveness for our sin and a new redeemed life as we try to continue Jesus’ mission and ministry as his church.

We thank God for the fact that, in Jesus, God became one of us–in order to offer us forgiveness and a healed redeemed relationship with God in the Kingdom of God.

In the Christmas Season Angels and Archangels and the whole company of heaven join with us in a song of praise for the good news proclaimed by the angels: Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11).

Ultimately the joy of Christmas is not just for a day or a season. It is the joy that comes with knowing that Jesus is present in our hearts and in our midst through the Holy Spirit received in our baptism. This a joy which no pain nor sorrow can defeat, and which neither life nor death can take away.

“Lord our God, with the birth of your Son, your glory breaks on the world. As we celebrate his first coming, give us a foretaste of the joy that awaits us when the fullness of his glory has fills the earth and your kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.”

Scripture:2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16 Psalm89:2-5,27,29 Luke1:67-79

Reflection: John the Baptist was born shortly before Mary delivered her son, Jesus. When John was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Jewish rite, his father Zechariah was “filled with the Holy Spirit” and with great joy. Inspired by the Holy Spirit he spoke a prophetic hymn of blessing for the work of redemption which God was about to accomplish in Jesus. He discerned the immanent fulfillment of God’s promise to David and through the coming of the Messianic King (2 Samuel 7:16) who would establish justice and peace. 

We sometimes think of peace as the absence of war but the peace that Jesus brings is the peace that can only come through accepting forgiveness and the offer of a redeemed healthy and life-giving relationship with God.

The Holy Spirit gave Zechariah a vision for his son John as a prophet who would prepare the way for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit can give us a confidence in the knowledge of God’s merciful love which he offers us through his Son Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist, we too are called to prepare the way that leads to faith in Jesus.

In sending the Messiah God has come to us as one of us to redeem us. At Christmas we celebrate and give thanks for God’s gift of Jesus. In Advent we pray that the Holy Spirit inspire us to proclaim, in word and deed, the good news of redemption offered by Jesus.

“Lord, you have been gracious and merciful towards your people.  Fill us with your Holy Spirit that, through what we say and do, we bear witness the gospel of Jesus.”

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-18 Psalm 33:2-3,11-12,20-21 Luke 1:39-45

Reflection: Mary was given the “blessedness” of being the mother of the Messiah, the Son of God.

When Elizabeth greeted Mary and recognized the Messiah in Mary’s womb they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with joyful anticipation of the fulfilment of God’s promise to give us a Saviour. God fills not only Elizabeth’s heart with his Holy Spirit but the child in her womb as well. John the Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to his coming and leapt for joy in the womb of his mother.

The Holy Spirit, given to us in our baptism, enables us to know and experience the presence of God and the power of his kingdom in our day-to-day lives. The Holy Spirit is the way in which God acts today in and through Jesus’ church. In Advent we reflect on the reality of God’s presence with us through his Holy Spirit.

“Lord Jesus, touch me with God’s Holy Spirit and help me to experience you more deeply. Increase my faith in your promises and help me to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength and to love my neighbour as myself.”

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 24:1-6 Matthew 1:18-24

Reflection: Mary was asked to assume a tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father and she was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust in God nd in his promises. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God’s promises.

Joseph, a righteous man, did not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant.  To all appearances she had broken the pledge to be faithful to one another. Joseph was not hasty to judge or to react with anger.  God provided him with assurance that God had called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require faith, confidence, and trust in God.  Joseph believed and obeyed and took Mary as his wife and accepted the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful servant of God’s offer of redemption. Are we ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems?  God has not left us alone, but has given us his Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  We are invited in Advent to prepare to celebrate Christmas by renewing our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.

“Lord Jesus, you came to save us from the power of sin and death. May we always give thanks for the forgiving love of God revealed in you and trust in your will to redeem your world”.

Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12,14,16 Psalm 89:1-5,27-29 Luke 1:26-38

Reflection: God keeps his promises (Psalm 89:2-4). David wanted to build a house for God. God reassured him that he would build David a house that would last forever (2 Samuel 7:12,16). God promised an heir to David’s house, – a Saviour and King who would bring a new era of healing, pardon, and peace.

Christians see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the events leading up to the birth of the Messiah. This new era (The Kingdom of God) begins with the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. The child to be born is the fulfillment of God’s promises. He will be named “Jesus”, which means “the Lord saves”. The angel repeats to Mary, the promise made to David: “…he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

Mary responds with trusting faith. Mary’s prompt response of “yes” to the angel makes her a model of faith for us all. She believed God’s promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing to do God’s will, even if so doing seemed impossible. God trusts that we will respond to what God asks of us with the same sort of willingness, obedience, and trust that Mary did. God also promises to give us, through the Holy Spirit received in our baptism, the strength, and means to do the things God trusts us to do. We are created with free-will and we can decide to say “Yes” to God. We also have the freedom to decide to say “No” to God and go our own way. Advent invites us to ask if we believe in God’s promises and are we prepared to say “Yes” to God?

“Heavenly Father, you offer us grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son Jesus. Help us to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you our unqualified “yes.”

Readings: Genesis 49:2,8-10 Psalm 72:3-8, 17 Matthew 1:1-17

Reflection: Do you know who your ancestors were, where they came from, and what they passed on from their generation to the next? Genealogies are very important. They give us our roots and help us to understand our heritage. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus traces his lineage from Abraham, the father of God’s chosen people, through the line of David, King of Israel. Jesus the Messiah is the direct descent of Abraham and David, and the rightful heir to David’s throne. God in his mercy fulfilled his promises to Abraham and to David that he would send a Saviour and a King to rule over the house of Israel and to deliver them from their enemies.

When Jacob blessed his sons he foretold that Judah would receive the promise of royalty which we see fulfilled in David (Genesis 49:10). We can also see in this blessing a foreshadowing of God’s fulfillment in raising up his anointed King, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the fulfillment of all God’s promises to the people of Israel He is the hope not only for the Jewish people but for all nations as well. He is the Saviour of the world who redeems us from slavery to sin and Satan and makes us citizens of the kingdom of God. In him we receive adoption into a royal priesthood and holy nation as sons and daughters of the living God (see 1 Peter 1:9). Do we acknowledge our spiritual genealogy and heritage from our ancestors in the faith? Do we allow God to be our loving Father and Jesus to be our Saviour, Lord and Friend?

“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Messiah and Saviour of the world, the hope of Israel and the hope of the nations. Be the ruler of my heart and the king of my home. May there be nothing in my life that is not under your wise rule and care.”

Scripture: Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25 Psalm 85:8-13 Luke 7:18-23

Reflection: How do we know that Jesus is who he claims to be, the Son of God, Messiah, and Saviour of the world? Is our faith a blind leap we must take without certainty or proof? John the Baptist sends his disciples to question Jesus about his claim to be God’s anointed Messiah perhaps because he wanted them to hear and see firsthand for themselves the signs and proof that the Messiah had indeed come in the person of Jesus Christ.

The miracles which Jesus performed and his message about the kingdom or reign of God directly fulfilled what the prophets had foretold (see Isaiah 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 61:1). Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to set people free from the worst tyranny possible – the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the destruction of both body and soul. God’s power alone can save us from hopelessness, from confusion, and from the fear of death and grace us with lives of ultimate meaning and purpose. The gospel of salvation is “good news” for us today. Do we know the joy and freedom of the gospel?

“Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and desires. Your Spirit brings us grace, truth, life, and freedom. Fill me with the joy of the gospel and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and for your will”.

Readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-19, 22 Matthew 21:28-32

Reflection: Jesus asks us a simple question: What do you think? Who will inherit the kingdom of heaven?

Jesus upsets self-righteous people with his declaration that the tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom of God before them. Jesus illustrated his point with a story of two imperfect sons. The father provided his sons with everything they needed. He thought they would be grateful to work for him in exchange for his care for them. He expected them to show their gratitude and respect through their diligence in tending his vineyard.

Although the “rebellious” son told his father to his face that he would not work for him, he afterwards changed his mind and did what his father commanded him to do. The “good” son said he would work for his father, but didn’t carry through. He did his own will contrary to his father’s will.

Both sons disobeyed their father; but one repented and then did what the father told him.
Jesus makes his point clear: Good intentions are not enough. And promises don’t count unless they are made good.

God wants us to show by our actions that we respect the will of God. God offers each of us the greatest treasure possible – unending peace, joy, happiness, and life with him in his kingdom. In Advent, Jesus encourages us to think – to think about the consequences of our choices, especially the choices and decisions that will count not just for now but for eternity as well.

The choices we make today affect and shape our future, both our future on earth as well as in the life of the age to come. Are we ready to choose to work for God’s kingdom of righteousness and peace and to do what we say we will do?

“Lord Jesus, change my heart that I may desire to do whatever is pleasing to you. Help me to respect your will and give me the strength, joy, and perseverance to carry it out wholeheartedly.”

Readings: Numbers 24:2-7,15-17 Psalm 25:5-9 Matthew 21:23-27 

Reflection:
When John the Baptist began to preach a message of repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the religious leaders resisted his message.

Jesus the Messiah also met resistance, opposition, and hostility from the religious leaders who opposed Jesus and rejected his claim to divine authority because their view of God did not correspond with the God’ revealed in Jesus. They questioned Jesus to discredit his claim to be the Messiah. If Jesus says his authority is divine they will charge him with blasphemy. If he has done this on his own authority they could arrest him as a dangerous zealot.

Jesus, seeing through their trap, poses a question to them and makes their answer a condition for his answer. Did they accept the work of John the Baptist as divine or human? If they accepted John’s work as divine, they would be compelled to accept Jesus as the Messiah. They dodged the question because they were unwilling to face the truth. They did not accept the John and they would not accept Jesus as their Messiah.

The coming of God’s kingdom or reign on the earth inevitably leads to conflict – a conflict of allegiance to God’s values expressed in Jesus or allegiance to cultural values…a conflict between God’s truth revealed in Jesus or to a “truth” relative to what we want to believe is useful for us for the time being.
How do we respond to Jesus’ claim to be not only the Messiah, but the source of eternal life and truth as well? Do we stake our life on the coming of his kingdom? Jesus promises that those who try to live according to his values will find true joy, freedom, and happiness.

Scripture: Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11 (Apocrypha) Psalm 80:2-3, 15-19 Matthew 17:10-13

Reflection: God gives signs to show what he is about to do. John the Baptist is one such sign. John pointed to Jesus and prepared the way for his coming. John fulfilled the essential task of all the prophets: to point out the need to repent and to proclaim what God was about to accomplish. John is the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament and he links the Old Covenant with the New by identifying Jesus as the messiah. The Jewish people expected that when the Messiah would come, Elijah would appear to announce his presence. John fills the role of Elijah and prepares the way for the coming of Christ by preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal. As watchful servants, we too must prepare for the Lord’s coming again by turning away from sin and from everything that would keep us from pursuing his will. Are we eager to do God’s will and are we prepared to meet the Lord Jesus when he returns in glory?

“Lord Jesus, stir my zeal for your righteousness and for your kingdom. Free me from complacency and from compromising with the ways of sin and worldliness that I may be wholeheartedly devoted to you and to your kingdom.”