With relativity that reaches from the Babylonian captivity through contemporary troops returning from Iraq, the readings proclaim hope of salvation. (Babylonia was located on the left bank of the Euphrates River near where it meets the Tigris River, the present-day location of Baghdad.) The 1st reading promising restoration of the city is counter-balanced by Luke's account of John the Baptist's similar message: the need to take responsibility for our sinfulness and how to prepare for the coming new world.
Next Sunday's alternate opening prayer pleads that "the lure of greed not impede us from the joy which moves the hearts of those who seek (Christ)." This is an important reminder during the busy holiday shopping season.
Psalm 126 (next week's psalm) is one of the 15 Psalms of Ascent (Ps 120-134), so-called becuase they were sung during pilgrimages to and from Jerusalem. The assembly responds joyfully to the 1st reading with the words "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy." Responsorial psalms are a very important part of the Liturgy of the Word; it is the assembly's time to sing from the Bible. It is not the time to seat latecomers nor for the cantor to "do a number".
By Elaine Rendler & Paul Covino
(Marty Haugen)
(Steve Warner)
