SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT A Lectionary #4
The readings present contrasting images of the One-who-is-to-come, and they offer us John the Baptizer as one traditional Advent model of response to the coming of Christ. (The other model, Mary of Bethlehem, is presented, along with Joseph, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent.)
Isaiah 11:1-10. Isaiah's dream of a messianic age focuses on a descendant of David's line who will be an ideal king, filled with the “spirit of the Lord,” who will create Jerusalem as a holy mountain on which “there shall be no harm or ruin.” Compare this image with the angry image John proclaims in the Gospel.
Psalm of the Day: Ps (71) 72
A royal psalm that offers prayers for the royal family, echoing the hope (first reading) for a king who will be a “real” king, one who judges justly and with mercy. Christian theology applied such royal imagery to Jesus.
In His Days Justice Will Flourish (Joncas), ref 2 GC 72/GC2 46/RS 102
Justice Shall Flourish in His Time (Alstott) BB
Justice Shall Flourish in His Time (Cooney) JS 57/GP 220/MI‑BB
Justice Shall Flourish in His Time (Guimont) GC 943/RS 101/LPMG 4
Justice Shall Flourish in His Time (Marchionda) PRM A2/PMB 557
Justice Shall Flourish in His Time (Schiavone) LP 11/JS 881
Justice Shall Flourish in His Time (Schiavone/Gelineau) WOR 769/LPGG 769
Justice Will Flourish in His Time (Armstrong/Somerville) CBW 20
Justice Will Flourish in His Time (Dohms) PMB 154/WC 413
Que en Sus Días/Justice Shall Floruish (Schiavone) SS
Se Postrarán ante Ti: Respuesta II (Cortez) FYC 219
Romans 15:4-9. Paul offers a standard Christian interpretation of the Bible (that is, the part known to Christians as the Old Testament): It was “written for our instruction,” and from it we are to develop reasons for hope, patience, and encouragement. He is especially concerned that Christians will imitate Christ and have patience with each other because that is the only way they will “think in harmony with one another.”
Matthew 3:1-12. After John was arrested, Jesus preached John's message of reform, though he modified it to fit his vision. Here is John's simple message: Reform; the reign of God is at hand. John preached an angry, judgmental message in order to encourage the reform at the heart of his proclamation. Notice the image of the one-who-is-to come, who will baptize with fire, winnow the wheat from the chaff, and clear the threshing floor. Once again (see previous Sunday), there is a contrast between the peaceful messianic age (first reading) and the judgmental Day of the Lord.
Songs for the Liturgy
A Season of Light (1,Ps) WC 466/WS
*A Voice Cries Out (G) BB/JS 313/RS 485/GC2 343/GP 294
*Advent Antiphon (G) CBW 301
Advent Gathering Song (1) GC2 324/GC2 338
Behold a Virgin Bearing Him (G) PMB 203/WC 479/WS
Christ Is Coming: Prepare the Way (G) LMGM 10
Clear the Voice (G) JS 317
Come, Emmanuel (1) PMB 192/WC 474/WS
Come, Light of the World (1) WC 459/WS
Come, Lord Jesus (1,Ps) BB
*Come, Rejoice in Our King (E) IH 3
Come to Set Us Free (1,2) GC 338/GP 298
Comfort, Comfort, O My People (1,G) WOR 370/BB 53/GC 326/GC2 331/WC 473/JS 327/RS 488
Every Valley (G) JS 326/GP 297/CBW 308/BB
Find Us Ready (G) GC2 342
*Hail to the Lord's Anointed (Ps) PMB 225/WC 510
*Let the Valleys Be Raised (G) GP 310/BB
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (1) WOR 374/BB/LMGM 24/GC 368/GC2 373/PMB 210/WC 490/JS 338/GP 320/WS
Maranatha (1) BB/GP 295/GC2 324, 335
Now Is the Time Approaching (1,Ps) WC 471
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (1) WOR 357/CBW 312/BB/GP 293/LMGM 3/GC 317/GC2 323/WC 462/JS 311/RS 493/PMB 184/WS
*O Day of Peace (1) WOR 654/PMB 460/JS 740
O, How I Long to See (1) JS 673/GP 306
*On Jordan's Bank (G) WOR 356/CBW 351/LMGM 8/BB/GC 321,322/GC2 344/PMB 190/WC 467/JS 315/RS 490/GP 296/WS
People, Look East (1,G) WOR 359/BB/GC 318/GC2 337/WC 456/JS 329/RS 482/GP 300/PMB 188/WS
*Prepare the Way of the Lord (G) WOR 369/LMGM 2/GC 336/GC2 330/CBW 317/RS 491
Priestly People, v 5 (G) PMB 383/WC 740/WS
Proclaim the Joyful Message (1) PMB 197/WC 476/WS
*Ready the Way (G) JS 323/BB
Walk in the Reign (1) GC 319/GC2 325
Warm the Time of Winter (1,2) GC2 339
*Wild and Lone the Prophet's Voice (G) HG 18
| Title of Anthem, Voicing & Instrumentation | Composer/arranger/editor | Publisher & edition # | |
| Advent Message (Unison) | How, Martin | Boosey & Hawkes (OCTW0161) | (G) |
| And a Little Child Shall Lead Them (SATB) | Roff, Joseph | Stony Chapel Press (142) | (1) |
| And a Little Child Shall Lead Them | Burton, Daniel | Neil Kjos (Ed. 6167) | (1) |
| And the Glory of the Lord (from Messiah, SATB) | Handel, G.F. | Various | (1) |
| Behold, A Branch Is Growing (SAB) | Aufdemberge, E | Concordia (98-2132) * | (1) |
| Behold, the Days Come (SATB) | Reger, Max | Concordia (98-2388) * | |
| Blessed be the Lord (SAB) | Mozart, W.A. | Choristers Guild (CGA-528) | (PS) |
| Come, Jesus, Holy Son of God | Handel, G.F./arr. Hopson | Harold Flammer (A-5623) | |
| Comfort, Comfort (SATB) | Faure, G./arr. H. Hopson | Carl Fischer (CM 8017) | (1,G) |
| Comfort, Comfort | Ferguson, John, arr. | Augsburg (11-2381) | (1,G) |
| Comfort, Comfort (SATB) | White | Selah | 1, G |
| Comfort, Comfort (SATB) | Proulx | Paraclete | 1, G |
| Comfort, Comfort (SATB) | Stearns | Paraclete | 1, G |
| Comfort, Comfort These My People (SATB) | Armstrong, Matthew | Logia (98-3155) | (1,G) |
| Comfort, O Comfort (SB) | Nelson | Concordia | 1 |
| Dream Isaiah Saw, The (SATB) | Rudolph | Oxford University Press | 1 |
| E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come (SATB) | Manz, Paul | Morning Star #50 - 0001 | (G) |
| Egredietur Virga (SATB) | Handl, Jacob | Arista | (1) |
| Every Valley | Beck, John Ness | Beckenhorst Press (BP1040) | |
| Hail to the Lord's Anointed (SATB) Hail to the Lord's Anointed |
Bingham, Seth Lovelace |
Harrold Flammer (84910) E. C. Schirmer |
(PS) |
| Lo! How a Rose (SATB/SAB) | Praetorius/Houkom | Concordia (98-2216) * | (1) |
| Lo! How a Rose (SATB) | Neswick | St. James Press | (1) |
| Lo! How a Rose (SATB) | Saylor | Paraclete | (1) |
| Lo, How a Rose (SATB) | Distler, Hugo | Arista (AE109) | (1) |
| Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming | Praetorius, M/arr. Overby | Augsburg (11-1036) * | (1) |
| Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (SATB) | Rentz | Oxford | (1) |
| Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (SATB) | Adelmann | Trinitas/OCP | (1) |
| Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (Six A cappella Christmas Carols)(SATB) | Proulx | GIA | (1) |
| O Day of Peace (SATB) | White | Alfred | 1 |
| O Jesus, Grant Me Hope and Comfort (SATB) | J. Franck/Buszin | Belwin | 1, G |
| On Jordan's Bank | Armstrong | Concordia | (G) |
| Peaceable Kingdom, The (Unison) | Hruby, Dolores | Concordia (98-2098) * | (1) |
| People of Zion (Four Entrance Antiphons)(SATB) | Chiusano | Trinitas/OCP | E |
| People Look East (SATB) | Clemens | WLP | 2 |
| Prepare the Royal Highway (Unison) | Hopson | Morning Star | G |
| Prepare to Receive Him (Unison) | Bach/Currie | GIA | G |
| Prepare Ye the Way (SATB) | Martin, Joseph | Triune Music (10/1226T) | (G) |
| Prepare! (SB) | Pote, Allen | Choristers Guild (CGA-705) | (G) |
| Reign of Peace, The | White | Alfred * | (1) |
| Shoot Shall Come Forth Out of Jesse, A (SATB) | Horn, Richard | Morning Star (MSM-50-0010) | (1) |
| There Shall Come Forth a Shoot (SAB) | Scott | Oxford University Press | 1 |
| This Is the Record of John ( from Tudor Anthems , p. 318) | Gibbons | Oxford | (G) |
| Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (SATB/divisi)(Emmanuel-God With Us) | Young | Colla Voce | 1 |
| Virga Jesse (SATB) | Bruckner, Anton | Arista (AE 156) | (1) |
| Whatever Was Written in Former Days (SATB) | Weinhorst, R | Lengnick | (G) |
* Out of Print