Podcast: 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A
This weekend we are celebrating the 2nd Sunday of Advent, year A.
As is true of the Advent season in general, the readings today share the message of the coming of the Messiah. Beginning with Isaiah’s prophesies in chapter 30, verses 19 and 30, the Entrance antiphon proclaims:
“O people of Sion, behold,
the Lord will come to save the nations,
and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard
in the joy of your heart.”
Taken from chapter 72, the Psalm response is:
“Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
Like Isaiah, John the Baptist proclaims the coming of the Messiah, saying in the gospel acclamation from Luke chapter 3, verses 4 & 6:
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
The communion antiphon is another proclamation of the coming Messiah. Taken from the deuterocanonical book Baruch, we read:
“Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights,
and behold the joy which comes to you from God.”
Featured Songs:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Verse 2)
https://themodernpsalmist.com/songs/o-come-emmanuel-verse-2/
Entrance Antiphon: Psalm (Rebecca De La Torre)
https://themodernpsalmist.com/songs/entrance-antiphon-2nd-advent-mode-ii-de-la-torre/
Psalm 72: Justice Shall Flourish (Rebecca De La Torre)
https://themodernpsalmist.com/songs/psalm-72-justice-shall-flourish/
Gospel Acclamation: Luke 3:4,6 (Rebecca De La Torre)
https://themodernpsalmist.com/songs/advent-gospel-acclamation-year-a-mode-ii-de-la-torre-2nd/
Communion Antiphon: Baruch 5:5; 4:36 (Rebecca De La Torre)
https://themodernpsalmist.com/songs/communion-antiphon-2nd-advent/
Light of the World (Jaime Cortez)
https://themodernpsalmist.com/songs/light-of-the-world/
Contributors: Jaime Cortez, International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). Performed with permission under ONE LICENSE #M-401427. All rights reserved.
Featured Songs
Podcast Transcript
Hi and welcome to the Modern Psalmist Podcast. I’m Rebecca De La Torre.
This weekend we are celebrating the 2nd Sunday of Advent, year A.
O come, Emmanuel.
As is true of the Advent season in general, the readings today share the message of the coming of the Messiah. Beginning with Isaiah’s prophesies in chapter 30, verses 19 and 30, the Entrance antiphon proclaims:
“O people of Sion, behold,
the Lord will come to save the nations,
and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard
in the joy of your heart.”
The first reading, like the entrance antiphon, is also from Isaiah’s prophesies. In chapter 11, the Messiah is described as being a
“sprout from the stump of Jesse” in verse 1,
and in verse 5:
“Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.”
In verses 6-9, the profound peace that the Messiah will bring is illustrated in detail. Verse 6 says:
“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.”
And in verses 7 & 8:
“the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,”
This is hard to imagine. It sounds like a dream. I would LOVE to be able to pet a lion! But how in the world could this be possible? Only with the Lord is this possible.
In verse 9, Isaiah explains:
“There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.”
Imagine the world *filled* with the knowledge of the Lord… That’s what this whole Christian journey is about. We are striving to know the Lord better – to know how to *love* better.
This first reading sets up the responsorial psalm perfectly. Taken from Psalm chapter 72, the response is:
“Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
The verses continue to explain in greater detail the peace and justice that the Messiah is bringing into the world.
Like Isaiah, John the Baptist proclaims the coming of the Messiah, saying in the gospel acclamation from Luke chapter 3, verses 4 & 6:
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
The communion antiphon is another proclamation of the coming Messiah. Taken from the deuterocanonical book Baruch, we read:
“Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights,
and behold the joy which comes to you from God.”
One contemporary song that really feels like Advent to me was composed by my good friend Jaime Cortez titled “Light of the World” and its melody embodies the peace and tranquility that is described throughout the readings today. Two of the verses also match today’s entrance and communion antiphons, making it a perfect fit for the 2nd Sunday of Advent.
That was my version of “Light of the World” by Jaime Cortez for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A. Links to the sheet music and recordings for all songs featured on the podcast can be found in the show notes and on TheModernPsalmist.com.
In addition to the podcast every Sunday, I’m producing a virtual bilingual Advent vespers prayer service for every Tuesday evening during Advent. Check the show notes for the direct link, or visit TheModernPsalmist.com.
Have a blessed week.
