Second Sunday of Advent (B)

Greeting (see First Reading) "Here is your God" among us in this celebration. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, embracing us in his love and bringing us mercy and consolation. May this God among us, the Lord Jesus, be always with you. R/ And also with you. Introduction by the Celebrant A. Preparing the Lord's Coming In difficult times like ours people often complain that, though many things are changing as never before, basically there is little change after all on the human level. Wars are still fought, injustices remain or even increase, for now the means to commit them are more powerful. There is little love and compassion among people. Yet, Jesus came long ago... The question asked of us today is: what have we done about Jesus' good news of love and justice and peace? Have we built to one another roads of integrity and faithfulness, of trust in God and in one another? Can we say "Here is our God" in whose name we make this earth new? That is our task. We ask Jesus to help us carry out this mission.
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B. Pioneers and Trailblazers For today's world it is typical that networks of roads are being built to make communications and exchange easy, fast and safe. What efforts have we made to construct roads that lead to God and one another? As Christians we are supposed to be a pilgrim people, a people constantly on the way to God and to one another. Today the voice of the prophet tries to wake us up. He calls us to prepare the way of the Lord, make your paths smooth and straight, that they may be roads leading to God: roads of conversion, justice and freedom. Penitential Act We now ask the Lord to forgive us for not loving and following him more closely. (PAUSE) Lord Jesus, you have the words of eternal life: to whom else shall we go? Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Jesus Christ, you have kept inspiring us through the faith of those who have gone before us: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you strengthen our faith through the teaching and living example of the community of

the Church: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Forgive us our sins, Lord, keep renewing us and growing in us and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen. Opening Prayer Let us pray our Father in heaven to give us the rejuvenating Spirit of Jesus (PAUSE) God of the covenant, through the prophets of the past and of today you call us to live up to the challenge of the gospel if we want to be your people. Stir us up from our comfortable, self-satisfied ways. Make us restless to hasten the coming of your Son and your kingdom and fill us with the fire of his Spirit to bring the warmth of his love and integrity into this cold, selfish world. Give us the lasting peace of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen. General Intercessions Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that he may help us to prepare the way for his full coming among us and in the world, and let us say: R/ Come, Lord Jesus, come.

- That the Church may be loyal to the Holy Spirit and implement the reforms demanded by the Council, that God's people may show to the world of today the true face of Jesus Christ, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus, come. - That the leaders of nations may listen to the voice of the Spirit at work in the world and look with wisdom and in dialogue for solutions to end wars, civil strife and exploitation of nations by nations and of people by people, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus, come. - That in the Church and in the world there may be prophets to wake us up from our indifference and complacency; that they may give a voice to the voiceless and open the eyes of all to one another's needs, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus, come. - That in our Christian communities we may be concerned about the poor among us and that we may treat them and everyone as sisters and brothers in Christ, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus, come. - That all of us here may be open to change and renewal and that we may live our faith without cowardice or compromise, let us pray: R/ Come, Lord Jesus, come.
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Lord Jesus Christ, make us open to the Spirit of wisdom and courage who was active in you. Convert us to you and to your good news, that you may truly live among us, now and for ever. R/ Amen. Prayer over the Gifts God of our future, we wish this bread and this wine to say that we are waiting for Jesus your Son. Give him to us now, let him stay with us and journey with us, that he may warm our lukewarm hearts and help us to transform this barren earth into a token and promise of your own love and unending joy. We ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen. Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer Our offering of this Eucharist says that we want Christ our Lord to be with us. We thank the Father for giving him to us and ask him to let Christ be our food on our journey through life. Invitation to the Lord's Prayer God does not delay his promise. With all trust we pray to him the prayer of Jesus our Lord : R/ Our Father...
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Deliver Us Deliver us, Lord, from discouragement when our little plans do not succeed. Let our faith grow deeper roots as it is tested in our struggles and in the pains of renewal. Keep us from regretting the safe past or condemning the confusion of the present. Make us look forward to a better world and accept the tensions of change, as we prepare with hope the full coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom.. Invitation to Communion This is Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are we if we prepare the way for his coming among us. R/ Lord, I am not worthy... Prayer after Communion God of the promise, the poverty of the disinherited and the disgust of the over satisfied cry out for someone to hope in. Show your Son to the world, Lord, as you have given him to us here in this Eucharist. Let him go ahead of us, on the road to one another and to you, our God for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing In this Eucharist the Lord himself has reminded us in his Word of his mercy and faithfulness. Let his faithfulness spring from our earth and his peace and justice dawn on us: this is how this Advent we will make Christ present in our world and how we will console and hearten one another. May almighty God strengthen and bless you: the Father, and Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Let us go and prepare in hope the way for the Lord's coming to all . R/ Thanks be to God.