1st Sunday of the Great Advent with the readings of 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

First week of the Great Advent: Adam and Eve

Genesis 3: 1-21

Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.’” But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. When they heard the sound of the LORD God walking about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. The LORD God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you? He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.” Then God asked: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat? The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman: What is this you have done? The woman answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the snake: Because you have done this, cursed are you among all the animals, tame or wild; On your belly you shall crawl, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.

To the woman he said: I will intensify your toil in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.

To the man he said: Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, You shall not eat from it, Cursed is the ground because of you! In toil you shall eat its yield all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field. By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

The man gave his wife the name “Eve,” because she was the mother of all the living.

The LORD God made for the man and his wife garments of skin, with which he clothed them.

Sirach 35: 12-14. 16-18

The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.

Psalm 34: 2-3. 17-19. 23

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the LORD;

the lowly will hear me and be glad.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears them,

and from all their distress he rescues them.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;

no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

2 Timothy 4: 6-8. 16-18

Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 18: 9-14

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Questions:

- It is written in the book of Genesis: “When they heard the sound of the LORD God walking about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. The LORD God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you?” – Why did Adam and Eve hide from God? When I sin, what makes me feel shame or regret? Are there situations where I try to ignore what I did and go on as if nothing happened? Does the shame from my actions (or the fear of their consequences) make me want to correct my ways, or to run away? How does faith in the mercy of God help me to repent, ask forgiveness and follow the way which leads to the Kingdom of God?

- It is written in the book of Psalms: “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.” – How do I see in my life the connection between prayer, daily activities, and joy? And if the connection is lacking, why is this so, and how the situation be improved? The Psalm says: “; the lowly will hear me and be glad”: how can humility (lowliness) help us to rejoice and praise God?

- It is written in the Second Letter to Timothy: “At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” – How do I deal with moments of loneliness? What do I feel about people who ignore me or distance themselves? How do I look for possibilities or opportunities to improve the situation?

- It is written in the Gospel: “The Pharisee (…) spoke this prayer (…), 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity (…) But the tax collector stood off (…) and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'” – How much do I tend to judge others and how much to see mainly their good qualities? How do I relate to my weaknesses or mistakes? What is the difference in this parable between the Pharisee’s thanksgiving and the tax collector’s plea for mercy, and what does Jesus teach us here about prayer?

Questions for children:

- It is written in the book of Genesis: “When they heard the sound of the LORD God walking about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. The LORD God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you?” – Why did Adam and Eve hide from God? When I sin, what makes me feel shame or regret? Are there situations where I try to ignore what I did and go on as if nothing happened? Does the shame from my actions (or the fear of their consequences) make me want to correct my ways, or to run away? How does faith in the mercy of God help me to repent, ask forgiveness and follow the way which leads to the Kingdom of God?

- It is written in the book of Psalms: “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.” – How do I see in my life the connection between prayer, daily activities, and joy? And if the connection is lacking, why is this so, and how the situation be improved? The Psalm says: “; the lowly will hear me and be glad”: how can humility (lowliness) help us to rejoice and praise God?

- It is written in the Second Letter to Timothy: “At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” – What do I feel when someone leaves me or betrays me? How do positive and negative thoughts about my situation affect me? Do I ask God to strengthen me and guide me in the right way?

- It is written in the Gospel: “The Pharisee (…) spoke this prayer (…), 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity (…) But the tax collector stood off (…) and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'” – Do I always have a tendency to compare myself to others or do I look for my own way? What are the desirable characteristics for a person in his relation to others and his prayer to God, according to the parable that Jesus gives us?