Friday in the Second Week of Advent

若望

December 9, 2005
Friday in the Second Week of Advent


Reading I
Is 48:17-19

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Gospel
Mt 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

若望

True Happiness in God's Law

I
Happy those who do not follow
the counsel of the wicked,
Nor go the way of sinners,
nor sit in company with scoffers.
Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy;
God's law they study day and night.
They are like a tree
planted near streams of water,
that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither;
whatever they do prospers.

II
But not the wicked!
They are like chaff driven by the wind.
Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment,
nor will sinners in the assembly of the just.
The LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

若望

将临期第二周星期五
（2005.12.9）

进堂咏
请看！上主将要在光辉中降临到他的子民中间，赏给他们和平与永恒的生命。

集祷经
全能的天主，求你使你的子民保持警醒，以期待你唯一圣子的来临；正如我们的救主曾教导我们的：要点上灯，保持醒寤，准备前去迎接他。因你的圣子、我们的主耶稣基督，他和你及圣神，是唯一天主，永生永王。亚孟。

读经一
依撒意亚先知书　48: 17-19
你的救主上主，以色列的圣者这样说：「我是上主你的天主，教训你为你有益的事，引你走当走的道路。恨不得你一向听从我的命令！那么你的安乐将似江河，你的幸福将似海涛；你的子孙多如海沙，出于你身的苗裔多似沙粒；你的名字在我前决不会抹去，也决不会被删除。」

答唱咏　咏1: 1-2, 3, 4, 6
【答】：上主，跟随你的，必有生命之光。
领：凡不随从恶人的计谋，不插足于罪人的道路，不参与讥讽者的席位，而专心爱好上主法律的，和昼夜默思上主诫命的，像这样的人才是有福的！【答】
领：他像植在溪畔的树，准时结果，枝叶不枯，所作所为，随心所欲。【答】
领：恶人却不如此，绝不如此！他们像被风吹散的糠秕。因上主赏识义人的行径，恶人的行径必自趋沉沦。【答】

福音前欢呼
领：亚肋路亚。
众：亚肋路亚。
领：上主来临，请迎接他，因他是和平之王。
众：亚肋路亚。

福音
圣玛窦福音　11: 16-19
那时，耶稣向群众说：「我可把这一代比作什么呢？它像坐在大街上的儿童，向其它的孩子喊叫，说：我给你们吹了笛，你们却不跳舞，我们唱了哀歌，你们却不捶胸。若翰来了，也不吃，也不喝，他们便说：他附了魔；人子来了，也吃也喝，他们却说：看哪！一个贪吃嗜酒的人，税吏和罪人的朋友！但智能必藉自己的工程彰显自己的正义。」

献礼经
上主，没有你，我们便一无所能；求你悦纳我们卑微的礼品和祈祷，赐给我们行善的力量。因主耶稣基督之名，求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。

领主咏
我们等待主耶稣基督的来临。他将改变我们卑微的肉躯，相似他光荣的身体。
（斐3:20-21）

领圣体后经
上主，我们参与了这个奥迹，领受了神粮。求你教导我们，以你所赐的智能去分辨世事，并乐于寻求天主的幸福。因主耶稣基督之名，求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。

若望

耶稣为了人性的悖逆而忧愁。
    在今天的福音里，有两种不同的生活方式。一种是若翰的生活方式，他在旷野里，禁食、克苦，与世界、与社会分离隔绝。若翰以苦行家的身份出现，宣讲悔改的洗礼，人们不踊跃地去听从。他们说祂疯了。耶稣来了，又吃又喝，与人交往，分担他们的忧愁和喜乐，他们就说：“看，祂是一个贪食好酒之徒”。无论从哪个方面讲，都可以给他们找到批评的把柄。
    喜乐与哀伤是我们在成长的过程中必要经历的。我们是以怎样的心态去面对生活的？我们应与喜乐的人一同喜乐，与哭泣的人一同哭泣。人们在不愿意听从真理的时候，会很容易找到不服从真理的借口，会强词夺理。如果是自己赞同的，会想尽一切办法来迎合。我们想一想，当耶稣基督邀请我们来参加祂的婚宴时，是否会有许多的借口来推辞呢？有行善功的机会，我们是否避开呢？如果我们不再按我们的偏见与背叛来批评人与教会，那么，我们离天国不远了。
主，让我们怀有祢所怀有的心情，以一颗赤诚的心等待祢的来临。