Third Sunday of Advent

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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Sunday, December 15, 2019

Readings:
Lesson: Isaiah 26:2-13
Psalm: 33
Epistle: Colossians 4:2-6
Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12

ADORATION
Almighty God, I rejoice in You. I sing a new song of praises to You. Your Word is right and all Your works are sure. You love righteousness and justice, and Your loving-kindness fills the whole earth. Father, You made the heavens through Your Son, the Word. You made all the heavenly hosts through the Holy Spirit, the breath of Your mouth. What You speak come to pass; what You command is firmly established. You look down on me from Your realm. You fashion my heart and understand all my actions. My soul waits upon You because You are my help and my shield. My heart rejoices in You because I trust in Your Name. Your loving-kindness is upon me because I have faith in You.

CONFESSION
Righteous Father, You open the gates of heaven so that the righteous who keep faith may enter in. I confess that I do not live by faith as I should. I do not put my full trust in You as my everlasting rock, for if I did, I would open the gates of my heart to the poor and needy. I would fight for the doors of this nation to be open to all who seek refuge here. My soul yearns for You in the night because my eyes do not look for You in my neighbor by day. My spirit within me earnestly seeks You because my ego constantly rebels against Your goodness. Your hand is lifted up in peace, but I fail to see it. You consume me in the fire of Your zealous love, but I reject Your kindness and Your forgiveness.

THANKSGIVING
Holy Spirit, I thank You for the gift of prayer. For two full years now I have devoted myself to the Daily Office, praying twice a day, morning and evening, by Your grace alone. I thank You for making prayer to me an open door for Your Word. Through it You alert me to the intentions of my heart, You reveal to me the prison of imperfection and self-love in which I am, and You declare the mystery of Christ’s selfless, loving and forgiving Presence within me. I thank You also that prayer centers and renews me, teaches me how to conduct myself wisely, and gives me the right words to say, so that I may know how to speak and answer everyone with the same grace You continually show me.

SUPPLICATION
Lord Jesus Christ, John the Baptist prepared the way for Your first coming by crying out in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance. As I wait for You in this Advent season, give me grace truly to heed his call, wisdom to know the wrongs I need to confess, and the strength and courage I need for a complete change of mind and amendment of life. Indeed I belong to You, and in You I am a son of Abraham, but may I never use these truths as an excuse not to bear fruit worthy of a changed life. Immerse me in the fire of Your Holy Spirit to clear the threshing floor of my soul, to illumine the wheat in the granary of my spirit, and to burn up the chaff of sin in my body.

HYMN
Savior of the nations, come!
Virgin’s Son, make here your home.
Marvel now, both heav’n and earth:
God has chosen such a birth.

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