Second Sunday in Advent [B]

Readings
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
2 Peter 3:8-14
Mark 1:1-8

Calendar
December 5: International Volunteer Day http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/intl-volunteer-day.html
December 6: Feast of Saint Nicholas
December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 10: Human Rights Day http://www.coc.org/calendar/display.html?Date=2005-12-10

Quotes
Our social doctrine is an integral part of our faith; we need to pass it on clearly, creatively, and consistently. It is a remarkable spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral resource that has been too little known or appreciated even in our own community.
U.S. Bishops, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, 1998

Catholic teaching offers consistent moral principles to assess issues, political platforms, and campaigns for their impact on human life and dignity. As Catholics, we are not free to abandon unborn children because they are seen as unwanted or inconvenient; to turn our backs on immigrants because they lack the proper documents; to create and then destroy human lives in a quest for medical advances or profit; to turn away from poor women and children because they lack economic or political power; or to ignore sick people because they have no insurance. Nor can we neglect international responsibilities in the aftermath of war because resources are scarce. Catholic teaching requires us to speak up for the voiceless and to act in accord with universal moral values.
U.S. Bishops, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, 1998

Thoughts for Your Consideration
The scriptures remind us to speak up and to proclaim the message of God.

There is a "voice crying in the desert."

"Speak tenderly." "Comfort my people." "A voice cries out."

With Isaiah, John the Baptist and Jesus we are invited to proclaim a message of hope to our world, especially to those who are in need. In a world of war and terrorism, of poverty and injustice, of dishonesty and manipulation of the truth, and of political expediency, we are invited to practice our faith in the spirit of the great prophets and address issues of justice, peace, and genuine human development for all God's people.

The images of the scriptures are images of hope and possibility. The rough way can be made straight. God will come with power. We can expect a new heaven and new earth "where righteous dwells." Baptism, repentance and all kinds of renewal are possible. We are invited to believe that the rich vision of Catholic Social Teaching can be made real in our world.

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group
When have you personally encountered a person who spoke prophetically in the spirit of Isaiah or John the Baptist? When have you tried to speak up in such a way?

Actions - Links
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. For more info go to: http://www.coc.org/calendar/display.html?Date=2005-12-10

For info from the UN go to: http://www.un.org/rights/

To read the Universal Declaration on Human Rights go to http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Amnesty International works on issues of Human Rights. Their web site is at http://www.amnestyusa.org . You can easily take action at their action center at: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/action/index.asp For info about human rights education with children go to: http://www.amnestyusa.org/education

Also see Education for Justice's section of classroom materials on Human Rights at http://www.coc.org/ej/justice/topics.html?ID=9039

Prayers
You will find a prayer for peace at Rabbis for Human Rights (http://www.rhr-na.org/). Simply go to: http://www.rhr-na.org/resources/resources/prayer_peace.pdf

* * *

The following is a prayer by Pope John Paul II:

Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future.

From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.

Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.

Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the "sin of the world,"
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen.

Pope John Paul II