Catholic TV Mass Online December 12, 2021: Third Sunday of Advent

Presider: Fr. Mark Payne Parish: Chaplain, Heart of the Nation As we celebrate this third Sunday of Advent we might be just like the crowd or like the tax collectors, or like the soldiers asking, "And what should we do?" and that wonderful John the Baptist is right there to give an answer. But John is really doing is each group, the first group the crowd, the second group the tax collectors and also the soldiers, were looked down upon by the Pharisees and the scribes. All of the religious leaders of Israel. They didn't care too much for them. And you know when you fall into a group like that you probably don't care much to follow the rules or even to be kind or go out of your way to do too much of anything! In fact, that's why John corrected them. And John maybe is the one we need to go to as we celebrate this third Sunday of Advent. What should we do? Here we are the third Sunday of Advent and where are we on our journey? Sometimes what happens is we fall into the same old, same old. Yup, here we are, Advent again and well, I want John to challenge us this Sunday. As the crowd turned and said, what should we do? You know what? Their hearts were saying, you know I don't want to extort people. And you know that cloak? Ya, I don't want to take that cloak because that person needs that cloak. We all know what is in our hearts and what should be done and what is right from wrong. But sometimes it takes a bit of a moment to say, and I could do better. And maybe that's where we are during this Advent season. To ask John the Baptist, and how John could I do better in following and preparing myself to enter into this Christmas celebration that's coming up. Sometimes it just takes a little self-reflection and you know amidst gathering gifts and all the rest of the things we've been doing, the baking preparing the house for the big celebration that's coming up, we sometimes miss that moment where we can do better. What do we need to do to prepare for Jesus' coming? And that's going to be our call and I’m going to invite each and every one of us today, this Sunday and the rest of the week, to really ask the question, how can I prepare myself for Jesus' coming in a much more authentic way? We know. Sometimes we busy ourselves a little too much. And maybe it's just quieting ourselves. How often do we take that extra time to just pray. To quiet ourselves in the morning. Or maybe even sitting at our desk in the middle of the day just to take a deep breath. I work with a wonderful woman who is the director of our parish and also the principal of the school and she leaves on her phone a message that goes off once in a while that just says, breathe. Breathe. I think all of you are shaking your heads. We need to prepare ourselves by just breathing. So, let's listen to John. What's John saying to you in your heart? What's John saying to us as we celebrate this third Sunday of Advent. Maybe it's just to breathe. Entrance: Ready The Way Text: Based on Isaiah 40:3, 4a; Curtis Stephan, b. 1973. Music: Curtis Stephan; keyboard acc. By Gus Pappelis, b. 1953 Text and music © 2004 Curtis Stephan. Published by spiritandsong.com a division of OCP. All rights reserved. Psalm: Isaiah 12: Cry Out With Joy and Gladness Response text © 1969, 1981, 1997, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Verses text © 1970, 1997, 1998, CCD. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music © 2017, Josh Blakesley. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Preparation: Drawn To You Text: Sarah Hart, b. 1968. Music: Sarah Hart; piano acc. by Scott Soper, b. 1961. Text and music © 2019, 2020, Sarah Hart. Published by Spirit & Song®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved. Communion: The Body of Christ Text: Sarah Hart, b. 1968. Music: Sarah Hart; keyboard acc. by Scott Soper, b. 1961. Text and music © 2019, 2020, Sarah Hart. Published by Spirit & Song®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved. Sending Forth: Emmanuel Text: Refrain, Steve Angrisano, b. 1965, © 2004, Steve Angrisano. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Verses based on Advent ‘O’ Antiphons. Music: Steve Angrisano; choral arr. by Rick Modlin, b. 1966, © 2004, 2005, Steve Angrisano. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Mass Setting: Mass of St. Mary Magdalene Text © 2010 ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music: Mass of St. Mary Magdalene; Sarah Hart. B. 1968; arr. By Rick Modlin, b. 1966, © 2018, 2019, Sarah Hart. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream the music in this liturgy obtained from ONE LICENSE, License No.A-718591. www.HeartoftheNation.org