First Sunday of Advent

1. Lord, Let Us See Your Face 2. Have The Door Open When The Lord Comes 3. Hope In A Better World

Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II

Introduction

Greeting

I welcome you with the greeting of St. Paul:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father

and from the Lord Jesus Christ. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

• Let Us See Your Face

During this Advent, we are confronted again with a question vital to us Christians: what place are you giving Christ in your life? Are you close to him? One thing is sure: he is near to us. Do we try to see him, to recognise him in the many forms he is present among us: in our neighbour, in nature, in the events of life, even in our troubles and his own silence? We must stay vigilant for his presence, not only in our own little world but in the Church and the wider world. Today we pray in the Eucharist: come, Lord, show yourself; be visible among us.

• Have The Door Open When The Lord Comes

It is good to have something to wait for, to look forward to, to hope in. People with no more expectations are pitiable, for their lives must be drab and monotonous. Of course, waiting for something to happen, for someone who is delayed, can make us impatient at times, like the better world we are promised but that takes so long to come. The Lord here among us asks us: what have you done to hasten the coming of a new self and of a better world? Why have you not made my Gospel and me known, and why do you not make me visible in yourself? Here is our task for Advent: We have to bring the Lord and his kingdom near. May the Lord give us this strength.

• Hope In A Better World

People often dream about a beautiful world without worries or pain. We know that our world will never be such a paradise. Imperfection is the mark of our world and of every human being. But Advent reminds us: let God come into our world and into our lives; then everything will be better. And God came: he is here with us in Jesus. With him, we can make this world not yet a paradise, but at least much better, if we learn to bear the pain of evil in this world and fight it with all our might. Then it may become a sign of heaven’s paradise. Let Jesus fill us with that hope and strength.

Penitential Act

Do we look for the Lord?

And when we find him, do we point him out to others?

Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.

(pause)

Lord Jesus, awaken your might and come to our help:

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, bring us back,

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved:

Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, we shall never forsake you again;

give us life, that we may call upon your name.

Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,

and take away all our sins.

Show yourself to us

and lead us to everlasting life. R/Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray that we may be vigilant

to see the coming of our Lord among us

(pause)

Our saving God,

long ago you sent your Son Jesus among us,

but we have been little aware of his presence

and we hide him even from others.

Wake us up, make us recognise him,

that he may be the light of our lives

and that eagerly we may lead people to him.

May he build up among us and with us

a world and a kingdom of peace and love

where we serve you in one another,

as we move forward in hope

to your home of endless joy and rest.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

First Reading

Is 63:16b—17; 64:1,3-8

Rend The Heavens And Come Down!: In the name of his discouraged and suffering people, the prophet voices his trust in God: they deserve their lot, but no situation is desperate when we can count on a saving God.

For you are our Father, whereas Abraham does not know us, nor has Israel any knowledge of us. But you, O Lord, are our Father, from the beginning. You are our redeemer: this is your name.

Why have you made us stray from your ways? Why have you made our hearts hard so that we do not fear you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance.

As when fire sets brushwood ablaze and causes water to boil, make the nations know your name and your enemies tremble.

No one has ever heard or perceived, no eye has ever seen a God besides you who works for those who trust in him.

You have confounded those who acted righteously and who joyfully kept your ways in mind.

Confession of Sin and Supplication

But you are angry with our sins, yet conceal them, and we shall be saved.

All of us have become like the unclean; all our good deeds are like polluted garments; we have all withered like leaves, blown away by our iniquities.

No one calls upon your name, no one rouses himself to lay hold of you. For you have hidden your face; you have given us up to the power of our evil acts.

And yet, Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are the work of your hand.

Do not let your anger go too far, O Lord, or think of our sins forever. See, we all are your people!

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Waiting For The Full Coming Of Christ: Paul sees the life of a Christian as someone already united with Christ and yet looking forward toward his fuller coming until the Lord’s final return.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I constantly thank my God for you and the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus.

For you have been completely enriched in Him with words and knowledge,

just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you.

You possess every spiritual gift and are only waiting for the glorious return of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

He will keep you strong until the end, and you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus’ return.

The faithful God will not fail you after calling you into fellowship with his Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Alleluia Verse

Psalm 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 13:33-37

Stay Awake For The Lord’s Coming: Christians should always be ready for the unexpected, for they may encounter the Lord at any time in people, in the events of life and at death. Are we awake and ready to respond?

Stay alert and watch out, because you never know when the time will arrive.

When a man travels abroad and leaves his home, he assigns his servants responsibilities and instructs the doorkeeper to stay alert.

So stay alert, because you don’t know when the owner of the house is coming—whether it’s in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or before dawn.

If he arrives unexpectedly, don’t let him find you asleep.

What I tell you, I tell everyone: Stay awake!”

Prayers of the Faithful

Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that we may be alert to his presence and that his salvation may come to all of our world. Let us say: R/ Lord, come and save us.

• Enrich your Church with much tenderness, Lord, that it may show the way to all who seek, welcome sinners with compassion, and be the refuge and defender of the poor, we pray: R/ Lord, come and save us.

• Enrich the leaders of our world with your wisdom, Lord, that they may bring peace and justice to their own nations and on the international level, we pray: R/ Lord, come and save us.

• Enrich with hope in you those who suffer, Lord, that they may see how much you love them and that they may also meet people who follow you in your understanding and compassion, we pray: R/ Lord, come and save us.

• Enrich with your spirit of fidelity, Lord, for husbands and wives who are getting estranged, priests and religious who have lost a sense of direction, friends frustrated in their trust and mutual support, we pray: R/ Lord, come and save us.

• Enrich our communities with your love, Lord, that we may respect and appreciate one another, be united in all our diversity, and be attentive to each other’s needs, we pray: R/ Lord, come and save us.

Lord, Jesus Christ, you are the one who is coming to renew us and our world.

Be our joy, our peace, all our hope, now and forever. R/ Amen.

Prayer Over the Gifts (based on Pope Paul VI’s “80 Years Later”)

God our Father,

we pray you at this altar

for the coming of Jesus Christ in bread and wine.

Inspire us by the power of his Spirit

and sustain us in hope,

that we may fully commit ourselves

to build up among people a city

that is human, peaceful, just, and fraternal

as an offering that pleases you,

our God and Father for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

In the preface and the whole Eucharistic Prayer we express our longing for the Lord’s coming among his people and in the world.

Note. It is fitting to use during Advent acclamation (b) of the Sacramentary after the consecration, because of the words: “Lord Jesus, come in glory."

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray to our faithful God

in the words of Jesus his Son

that his kingdom may come to all: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us Lord, from the evil of sin

which keeps us from seeing

that your Son already is among us.

Help us discover his presence

in our brothers and sisters.

In these times of trials and uncertainty

keep us watchful and reassure us

that even in our obscure toils

we are already preparing the new world

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus the Lord,

he who was and is and will come,

the hope and salvation of all.

Happy are we to receive him

as our God-with-us. R/Lord, lam not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,

it was good to be here with your Son

and to receive from him the bread of hope.

Help us in our clumsy attempts to bring to our cold world

the warmth of his love and friendship,

of his compassion and his integrity,

that people may see the day

when they can recognize among us

your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen,

Blessing

Advent is our season of waiting

for the coming of Jesus, our Lord.

But long ago he came already.

So, what are we waiting for, then?

For his real coming to you, to me, to our world.

Where is his kingdom among us?

How can people see whether he is here?

Can they see him in us, in our communities?

This is what we are waiting for,

or rather, what the Lord is waiting for.

The Lord is waiting for our active preparing

of his love and justice among people.

But he will do it with us.

Let the Lord come and activate us,

with the blessing of Almighty God,

that Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Let us go with one another

the way of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.

REFLECTIONS

Waiting with Love, Not Fear

Advent begins with Jesus’ call to watch. In the parable, the master entrusts his household to servants, each with a particular task. Watchfulness is therefore more than waiting for something to happen. It means caring faithfully for what has been placed in our hands.

A parent, a student, a caregiver, a parish volunteer and someone living alone will express this readiness differently. None needs to imitate another person’s life. Each can ask: what does love require of me here?

Pope Francis described the Lord’s coming as the foundation of Christian hope. Advent readiness begins not with fear of an approaching threat, but with trust in the One who comes to meet us.

We can become spiritually sleepy without doing anything obviously wrong. Habit can dull our gratitude. Busyness can make us unavailable. Old resentments can persuade us that reconciliation is no longer worth attempting.

Advent gently interrupts this drift. Perhaps our preparation can begin with one realistic commitment: a few minutes of daily prayer, an unhurried conversation, an act of reconciliation or regular attention to someone who is lonely.

We are not preparing a performance for God. We are making room for a relationship—and learning to recognise the Lord in the life already before us.

To reflect on: What one practice will help me become more attentive to God and to others this Advent?

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus. Awaken us from indifference and routine. Help us to care faithfully for those entrusted to us and to welcome your presence in our ordinary days. Amen.