11
December
Pope St. Damasus I
(305 – 384)
Violet / White
A Spaniard, he was born about 305. Joining the Roman clergy, he was elected Pope in 366, in calamitous times. He held many synods against heretics and schismatics. He promoted the cult of the martyrs. He died in 384.
Entrance Antiphon Ps 79: 4, 2
Come and show us your face, O Lord, who are seated upon the Cherubim, and we will be saved.
Collect
May the splendour of your glory dawn in our hearts, we pray, almighty God, that all shadows of the night may be scattered and we may be shown to be children of light by the advent of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4,9-12
The prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch. It was he who brought famine on the people, and who decimated them in his zeal. By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire. How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone reason to boast as you have? Taken up in the whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses; designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob, Happy shall they be who see you, and those who have fallen asleep in love.
Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19
R/ Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
1. O shepherd of Israel, hear us, shine forth from your cherubim throne. O Lord, rouse up your might,O Lord, come to our help.
2. God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted.
3. May your hand be on the man you have chosen, the man you have given your strength. And we shall never forsake you again; give us life that we may call upon your name.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! The day of the Lord is near; Look, he comes to save us. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 17:10-13
As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied, ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Rv 22: 12
Behold, I am coming soon and my recompense is with me, says the Lord, to bestow a reward according to the deeds of each.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The prophet Malachi had prophesied that Elijah would come again to get everything ready before the day of the Lord would come. Jesus tells his disciples and us today that Elijah did return, in the person of John the Baptist. Ben Sirach tells us in the First Reading that Elijah came to “turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob”. In other words, his mission was to preach repentance among the Israelites, to invite them to purify their hearts and to return to their God. Repentance is the central message of Advent; God wants us to change our hearts and return to him. But as Jesus points out in the Gospel, the Israelites did not recognise John the Baptist; rather, they treated him as they pleased. John the Baptist’s message of repentance is addressed to us during this season of Advent. Are we going to reject it, like the Israelites did, or are we going to accept it and let the power of God transform our lives?