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Today
is: December 7th Second Sunday of Advent
First Reading: Isaiah 40.1-11.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that
she has served her term, that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord's hand double
for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness
prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the
desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall
be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made
low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the
rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the Lord
shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.' 6 A voice
says, 'Cry out!' And I said, 'What shall I cry?'
All people are grass, their constancy is like the
flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower
fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers,
the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand
for ever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion,
herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with
strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift
it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah,
'Here is your God!' 10 See, the Lord God comes with
might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is
with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will
feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the
lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
Psalm: 85.1-2, 8-13
Lord,
you were gracious / to your / land:
you
re/stored the / fortunes of / Jacob.
You
forgave the of/fence of your / people:
and
/ covered / all their / sins.
I
will listen to what the Lord / God will / say:
for
he shall speak peace to his people and to the faithful,
that they / turn not a/gain to / folly.
Truly,
his salvation is near to / those who / fear him:
that
his / glory may / dwell in our / land.
Mercy
and truth are / met to/gether:
righteousness
and / peace have / kissed each / other;
Truth
shall spring / up from the / earth:
and
/ righteousness look / down from / heaven.
The
Lord will indeed give / all that is / good:
and
our / land will / yield its / increase.
Righteousness
shall / go be/fore him:
and
di/rect his / steps in the / way.
Second Reading: 2 Peter 3.8-15b
A reading from the second letter of Peter. 8
But do not forget one thing, my dear friends!
There is no difference in the Lord's sight between
one day and a thousand years; to him the two are
the same. 9 The Lord is not slow to do what
he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient
with you, because he does not want anyone to be
destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their
sins. 10 But the Day of the Lord will come
like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear
with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn
up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything
in it will vanish. 11 Since all these things
will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people
should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated
to God, 12 as you wait for the Day of God
and do your best to make it come soon---the Day
when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed,
and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.
13 But we wait for what God has promised:
new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness
will be at home. 14 And so, my friends,
as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure
and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace
with him. 15 Look on our Lord's patience
as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved,
just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using
the wisdom that God gave him.
Gospel: Mark 1.1-8
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according
to Mark. 1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the
prophet Isaiah, 'See, I am sending my messenger
ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice
of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the
way of the Lord, make his paths straight,"' 4 John
the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming
a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and
all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him,
and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing
their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's
hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and
he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed,
'The one who is more powerful than I is coming after
me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the
thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with
water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'
Post Communion Prayer: Lord, here you have nourished
us with the food of life; through our sharing in
this holy sacrament teach us to judge wisely earthly
things and to yearn for things heavenly. We ask
this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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