The Institute for Christian Formation
Second Sunday of Advent
December 4, 2011
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. When you light your Advent Wreath today, and each day this Second Week of Advent, you will light two violet candles.
Our first reading at Mass today is from Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11. We hear this beautiful poetry from Isaiah about comfort and consolation. There is a lovely hymn, “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People,” based on this Scripture passage. This would be a wonderful hymn to use in your prayer and reflection today. You can download this hymn here.
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St. John the Baptist
Michael Damaskinos
16th Century
Our Gospel for today, Mark 1-1-8, features another major Advent personage, John the Baptist. This Gospel begins by quoting the prophet Isaiah, and makes the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy and John the Baptist as the messenger fulfilling this prophecy.
Our Gospel gives us a vivid description of John the Baptist. His clothes are made of camel’s hair, and he has a leather belt around his waist. He wears sandals, and his diet consists of locusts and honey. Children, especially, love these details about John the Baptist. Let children create their own artistic depiction of the Baptist. In honor of John the Baptist, enjoy some honey today, perhaps with a biscuit at dinner or in a cup of tea during the afternoon or evening.
Loyola Press, as part of their Intergenerational Advent Event, has materials for a John the Baptist activity center, which includes a script for a simple play about John the Baptist, a simple John the Baptist song for young children, a John the Baptist coloring page, as well as a recipe for “grasshopper” (think locust!) cookies. You can access these pages at the Loyola Press web site here.
Click on image above to download our handout on
Saint John of Damascus.
As December 4 is on a Sunday this year, in our liturgy we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent. But December 4 is also the feast day (optional memorial) of Saint John of Damascus. You can find out more about this saint by downloading our John of Damascus handout on this page.
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
