November 27, 2011 – First Sunday of Advent – Year B
*First Sunday of the third edition of the Roman Missal*
I can hardly believe it is here! There are several “its” to which I refer:
1 – It’s a new liturgical year. Happy New Year!
2 – It’s the first Sunday we are using all new mass settings, plus our new/changed responses.
3 – It’s the first Sunday of Advent – wow! Where has the time gone?
4 – It’s almost December, which means the month will fly by with lots of activities and preparations for Christmas.
I admit, Advent snuck up on me. Or, probably more honestly, I wasn’t alert to the fact that Advent was almost here! It’s rather odd that I missed the countdown, considering that I’ve spent the last 4 weeks preparing to use the new mass settings in our liturgy, beginning with the first Sunday of Advent. Talk about missing the forest for the trees! But that mindset is exactly what the readings address in Sunday’s liturgy – ‘Be watchful! Be alert!’. If we don’t anticipate and prepare, we are likely to miss it completely.
There is much I could say about how the songs fit and support the readings, but in the interest of brevity, I’ll keep it short. Here’s the anticipated song list:
Opening – Maranatha (Come Lord)
Psalm – Respond & Acclaim “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved”
Presentation/Preparation – Turn to Me
Communion – Christ Be Our Light
Closing – City of God
After – Soon & Very Soon
I realize you may not all be attending the same Sunday liturgy, but I encourage you to pay attention to the music selection and look for ways that the songs echo the readings. It may be obvious or it may be subtle. Take one song, and focus on the words. What is the meaning? What word or phrase speaks to you? What is challenging about the message?
One last thought – the season of Advent is a time for us to watch and be alert, but for what? It’s more than Jesus’ birth at Christmas. We must also anticipate Christ’s coming at the end of time, and most especially, we must look for Jesus in our daily lives. If we don’t clarify our expectations, we are likely to miss our God among us now.
Resources used:
Living Liturgy by Liturgical Press – http://www.litpress.org/
Today’s Liturgy by Oregon Catholic Press – http://www.ocp.org/
Breaking Bread – Music Issue – www.ocp.org
