Good News (REC)
Second Sunday of Advent
Gospel Reading
Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist appears in Judea preaching a message of repentance.
Background on the Gospel Reading
In this week's Gospel Reading and next week's, our Advent preparation for Christmas invites us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. In this week's Gospel, Matthew describes the work and preaching of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). In this reading, John directs a particularly pointed call to repentance to the Pharisees and Sadducees, parties within the Jewish community of the first century.
John marks the conversion of those who seek him out with a baptism of repentance. Other groups in this period are thought to have practiced ritual washings for similar purposes, and John's baptism may have been related to the practices of the Essenes, a Jewish sect of the first century. John's baptism can be understood as an anticipation of Christian baptism. In this passage, John himself alludes to the difference between his baptism and the one yet to come: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
In this reading, John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah yet to come (Jesus) is one of service and subservience: “. . . the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11). In the context of Matthew's Gospel, today's passage is followed by Jesus' baptism by John, an event that is attested to in all four of the Gospels and appears to have been the start of Jesus' public ministry.
John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century, we, too, are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by our repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives, as John did, the coming of the Lord.
Family Connection
We do many things to get ourselves ready for our celebration of Christmas: purchase gifts, prepare Christmas cards, decorate our homes. John's call of repentance in preparation for Jesus reminds us that our repentance is another way in which we can prepare for the Lord's coming and our celebration of Christmas. Parish communities often offer a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Advent season. Your family might choose to participate in the communal celebration of the sacrament, or you might seek out the sacrament on an individual basis.
Read together today's Gospel. Talk about how John reminds the people that they prepare for the reign of God by reforming their lives. As a family, prepare a simple reconciliation service in preparation for Christmas such as the following: Gather in a prayerful space, perhaps around your family Advent wreath. Read again today's Gospel: Matthew 3:1-3. Invite each family member to pray silently, asking God to forgive their sins. Pray together an Act of Contrition. Then celebrate God's forgiveness by sharing a Sign of Peace with each other.
Thank you for all your kind and generous donations to our St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper Appeal. Your children can start to bring those into their class teacher, and they will be placed in a hamper tub. Donations will be collected on Tuesday 13 December, Week 10. Please bring in your items at the latest, Monday 12 December.
On Friday November 18, Year 6 Youth Ministry students participated in an Illuminate retreat at Good Shepherd Primary School, Amaroo. There were over 200 other Year 6 Youth Ministers there. It was a day focused on sharing God’s light with the world through all we do and say. It was also a blessed celebration of all the work these students have done to minister to younger students throughout the year.
Grandfriend’s Day
It was such a lovely day celebrating all the special Grandfriend’s in our lives. I shared a quote from Pope Francis about how ‘Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ are the cornerstones of our families. They hold our rich history and traditions. They transmit their faith to us…’ The weather was perfect and it was so lovely to have our community celebrating together.
Louisa Mitchell
Religious Education Coordinator