Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

PROPHETS OF FIRE

Other Celebrations for this Day:

Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II

Introduction

In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah is the “prophet of fire,” a fiery, zealous personality who makes fire come down on the enemies of God. He wanted to prepare the hearts of the people to accept God.

In the New Testament, the “prophet of fire”, the new Elijah, was John the Baptist. Full of zeal, he wanted to prepare the hearts of the people to accept Jesus as the saving Messiah. Who is calling us to conversion today and opening our hearts to make Christ alive in us? It is the Spirit of fire, who wants us to do with great zeal and love the work of Christ to bring the love, peace and justice of God in today’s world. Do we let the Spirit kindle that fire in us?

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
let us never become indifferent
to the ardent message
which your Son speaks to us in the gospel
When we have become inattentive and uninvolved,
send us again prophets to wake us up
and to make us attentive again
to make your kingdom among us a reality
of love of you and of people,
of justice and serving love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

First Reading

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11

In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord's word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
and who falls asleep in your friendship.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 80:2ac and 3b, 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.
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.

Alleluia Verse

Luke 3:4, 6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
All flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Prayers of the Faithful

–   That God may inspire among us prophets who in season and out of season wake us up from our complacency with ourselves and with the Church and the world of our day, we pray:

–   For men and women of integrity and courage, who are voices that speak out against injustice and the disregard of human dignity, we pray:

–   For prophets who dare us to be different in God’s ways and to take the pains to be constructive in building up a world of compassion and reconciliation, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Our living and loving God,
bread and wine are the signs for us
how Jesus wanted to bring among us
your goodness and forgiveness,
even when people were not willing to listen
and nailed him to the cross.
Give us your Spirit of fire,
that we may not spare any effort
to bring about the new season
that Jesus came to bring among us:
a time of hope and peace and love.
Let Jesus be our Lord now and for ever.

Prayer after Communion

God of hope and of our future,
we thank you for giving us again Jesus
to strengthen us with his word and his body.
With Jesus among us,
let us not be afraid of committing ourselves
to bring about the new world
for which he laid down his life.
Let him make our love strong and lasting,
and fiery enough to take the risks
of facing contradiction and ridicule
for Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

May there be fire in us, the fire of the Spirit that inspires us to love and to serve without measure, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTIONS:

The mission of rebuilding the community 

After witnessing the Transfiguration, the disciples grapple with a profound question: if Jesus is the Messiah, why hasn’t Elijah returned as prophesied? Jesus reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, whose mission was rejected and whose life was taken. Like Elijah, John prepared the way for the Lord, calling for repentance and the restoration of community—a mission so radical it threatened the existing power structures.

Jesus continues John’s mission, demonstrating through His life that the love of God and the love of neighbour are inseparable. His teachings challenge systems of oppression and call for a new way of living—one rooted in fraternity and mutual care. This mission, however, is dangerous, as it confronts the forces that benefit from division and exploitation. Like John, Jesus is rejected and ultimately put to death.

The Baptist demonstrate that renewal often comes through sacrifice. His prophetic courage calls us to confront the forces that divide us—whether systems of injustice, consumerism, or complacency—and to rebuild a community rooted in love and solidarity.

Inspired by their example, we are called to embrace the Gospel’s challenge to live as agents of renewal, trusting that, through suffering and perseverance, God’s transformative work in us will bear fruit for His kingdom.

 

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