First Sunday of Advent - Year A

Visit www.usccb.org/nab for readings.

READING I
Isaiah 2:1–5

In the Old Testament reading listen to how God will bring true peace in the days to come.

READING II
Psalm 122:1–2, 3–4, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9
Romans 13:11–14

On this first Sunday of Advent we are called to be alert and ready for Jesus.

GOSPEL
Matthew 24:37-44

In today’s gospel we are given an urgent message to get ready for the Second Coming of Jesus. Now is the time to live as true followers of Christ because a coming as sudden and devastating as the flood in Noah’s time is expected. The Lord’s return will be like a thief in the night, coming without notice.

Today’s passage gets right to the point that we must prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. At the time of judgment, one will be taken and one left. We need to be ready to meet the Lord now. Stay alert, this is a strong Advent theme which continues throughout the season.

What types of attitudes or actions demonstrate your own readiness for Christ's return? How might you prepare better?

Look for the Advent Wreath in your church. As you see the first candle lit, what good thing will you choose to do during the coming week? This will help you prepare for Jesus.

December 2 - St. John Amero
John Amero was a Dominican lay brother in Spain during the sixteenth century. After being ordained a priest, St. John Amero focused on study and prayer.

December 3 - St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis Xavier is known as the ÒApostle of the Indies and Japan.Ó As a young man, studying at the University of Paris around 1530, he met Ignatius of Loyola and became one of the first seven Jesuits. He is the patron saint of Roman Catholic missionaries in foreign lands.

December 4 - St. John of Damascus
A father of the Eastern Church, the memorial of St. John of Damascus is observed today in the Greek Church. In an attempt to protect him from a life of piracy, his father encouraged him to pursue knowledge instead. He became a monk and was ordained a priest around the year 730. John defended the use of icons and images in churches in Constantinople earning the title, "Doctor of Christian Art." He wrote The Fountain of Wisdom -- a summary of Christian theology. He also adapted choral music for use in liturgy. He is a Doctor of the Church.

December 5 - St. Crispina
St. Crispina was an African martyr who lived in the early days of the Church. Married and a mother of several children, she was put to death for her faith in the year 304.

December 6 - St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas was a wise and good bishop of the fourth century who lived near Turkey. He was especially kind and generous to the poor. He once secretly gave money to a poor man who could not afford weddings for his daughters. Because of his gift giving, St. Nicholas is known as Santa Claus in certain countries, including our own. He is also the patron of apothecaries.

December 7 - St. Ambrose
St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, Italy, in the fourth century, was a great teacher of the Church. He was made bishop at the insistence of the people of Milan because of his fairness and courage. St. Ambrose is the patron saint of learning and a Doctor of the Church.

December 8 - St. Romaric
Romaric was a Merovingian nobleman during the first century. A convert and married layman, he founded a convent and monastery. Romaric served as prior and later abbot. His two daughters and two grandchildren became members of these congregations.

Mark Twain
Samuel Clemens, who used the pen name Mark Twain, was born in 1835 in Mississippi. Mark Twain is best known for his novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.