2nd Sunday of Advent (C)
First Reading (Baruch 5, 1 – 9)
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Baruch
Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord had removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day it shall said to Jerusalem : Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoy over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.
Second Reading (Phil 1, 4-6, 8-11)
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God
The Gospel (Lk 3, 1 – 6)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet : A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”