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SPIRITUAL COMMUNION - FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT, Sunday, November 29, 2020

Updated: Nov 30, 2020

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT, Sunday, November 29, 2020


Celebrant: BLESSED BE GOD, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Celebrant: COLLECT

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

THE LESSONS


FIRST LESSON:

A Reading from Isaiah 64: 1-9a


1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,

that the mountains might quake at your presence— 2 [a] as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. 5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?[b] 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in[c] the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever.

Here ends the reading.


Response: Thanks be to God


PSALM 80:1-7


1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, you that lead Joseph like a sheep;*

show yourself also, you that sit upon the cherubim.


2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *

stir up your strength and come to help us.


3 Restore us again, O God; *

show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.


4 O Lord God of hosts, *

how long will you be angry with your people that pray?


5 You feed them with the bread of tears *

and give them plenteous tears to drink.


6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *

and our enemies laugh us to scorn.


7 Restore us again, O God of hosts; *

show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.

SECOND LESSON:

A Reading from 1 Corinthians 1:1-9


1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Here ends the reading.


Response: Thanks be to God

The Holy GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 13:24-37


Response: Glory to you, Lord Christ.


24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.


28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.


32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.33 Be on guard, keep awake.[a] For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants[b] in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows,[c] or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”


The Gospel of the Lord.

Response: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Celebrant: Homily

Celebrant: Let us confess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Celebrant: PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

In your own words, pray for your own needs, for those on your heart, for the peace of

the world, and for the Church.

Celebrant: ACT OF CONTRITION

Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God:


O GOD, We are VERY SORRY that we have sinned against you and for all the wrongs we have done and the good we have not done.

Take a moment in silence to share your confession to God with these words in your heart:

Especially I confess_______________________________.

Everyone: Forgive us for Jesus' sake, and grant us strength and wisdom to amend our lives. Amen.


Everyone:

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen

Everyone:

Dear Jesus, we believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament. We love you above all things, and we desire to possess you within our souls. And since we cannot now receive you sacramentally, we beseech you to come spiritually into our hearts. We unite ourselves to you, together with all your faithful people gathered around every altar of your Church, and we embrace you with all the affections of our souls. Never permit us to be separated from you.  Amen.

COME LORD JESUS, and dwell in our hearts in the fullness of your strength; be our wisdom and guide us in right pathways; conform our lives and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Priest’s Blessing:

AND MAY THE PEACE OF GOD, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you now and always, Amen.

ANIMA CHRISTI

SOUL of Christ, sanctify me Body of Christ, save me Blood of Christ, inebriate me Water from the side of Christ, wash me Passion of Christ, strengthen me O good Jesus, hear me Within Thy wounds, hide me Separated from Thee let me never be From the malignant enemy, defend me At the hour of death, call me To come to Thee, bid me That I may praise Thee in the company Of Thy Saints for all eternity. Amen.

Discussion Questions for First Sunday of Advent Year B


1. In the last section of today's Gospel, Jesus gives a figure to describe their life between his departure and final return: "It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work..." How do you understand the "work" which He expects of you during this life?


2. In this section, Jesus calls upon them to stay awake and watch during this life, "lest he come suddenly and find you asleep." How do you understand "asleep" in this context? How do you interpret this for your life and "work"?


3. In the Epistle, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians that Jesus Christ "will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." How have you experienced or felt his "sustaining" grace?



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