EXPLORE THE SUNDAY GOSPEL
The Preaching of John the Baptist
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel's hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
'We have Abraham as our father.'
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
MEET OUR EXTENDED FAMILY
Venerable Suzanne Aubert (Feast Day October 1)
June 19, 1835-October 1, 1926
Marie Henriette Suzanne Aubert was raised in a small village in France, near Lyon. At the age of two, she fell through an icy pond and was left temporarily blind and physically disabled. This, along with the death of her brother, led her to care deeply for those with disabilities. Her health condition slowed her education, but Suzanne eventually recovered, and thrived at school under the care of the Benedictine Sisters of La Rochette. Following French custom at the time, Suzanne's parents arranged for her to be married, but Suzanne refused. Her mother sought the council of St. John Vianney who affirmed Suzanne's decision.
In 1860, she left her hometown and set sail to New Zealand as a missionary. She and the other French-speaking women wanted to serve the Māori people and eventually moved to Hawkes Bay to do so. To help other missionaries and priests minister to the Māori people, she created an English-Māori dictionary, a French-Māori book of phrases, and a Māori prayer book. She then moved to Hiruharama and taught the Māori customs and language to a few Sisters of St. Joseph so they could teach in the schools. She taught catechism and helped the sick. She soon became known for her nursing skills and studied medicinal properties of native plants. While this outreach was well received by the locals, the order eventually decided to leave that area.
Suzanne continued serving, moving to Wellington. Again, the locals appreciated the work being done, but those in charge did not like the direction it was going. To continue the work, Suzanne eventually founded the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. She returned to Wellington and her order continued providing medical care free of charge to the poor of New Zealand. She died in 1926, and many came to pay their respects at her funeral.
TAKE TIME TO CHAT
John the Baptist has a special job: to tell people about Jesus and to prepare them for his coming. How can you be like John the Baptist and tell more people about Jesus?
A "brood of vipers" is a family of snakes. Why does John the Baptist call the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers?
Look at pictures from your baptism. What role did water and fire play?
Venerable Suzanne Aubert learned the language and customs of those she was serving. Are you comfortable engaging with people from other cultures? Why or why not?
FAMILY FUN
Family Story Time
Venerable Suzanne Aubert was a writer; spend some time today writing a story together as a family.
Have one person start a story with one sentence. The next person has to add the next sentence, and so on, until the whole family has contributed to the story and the story concludes. You can tell multiple stories so that each family member gets a chance to be the one to start. Consider writing the story down and drawing illustrations to make your own family storybook.
Alternatively, write a story about your family's history. Have parents and grandparents share what they remember and have one person be the scribe. Create a storybook with pictures or illustrations. This would make a great Christmas gift for relatives!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
New Zealand Kiwi Bread
Try this recipe in honor of our saint of the day!
6-7 medium ripe kiwis
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 egg
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp each: salt, baking powder, and baking soda
1 cup powdered sugar
6-8 tsp lemon juice
Pare the kiwi and chop enough to make 1 ½ cups. Place chopped fruit in a 2-quart pan, add sugar and lemon peel. Bring to a boil, stirring until fruit loses some of its color. Allow to cool. Beat eggs and oil well. Blend together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the baking soda to cooked kiwi mixture. Stir until bubbles form. Add this to the egg mixture and then add flour mixture to it. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon mixture into a well-greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 F about 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack. Make icing with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over loaf.
FAMILY PRAYER
A Prayer for the Immaculate Conception
On December 8th, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, during which we recall that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pray this prayer to help you prepare for this Holy Day of Obligation.
O most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body
and spirit, look kindly on us as we ask for
your powerful intercession.
O most Holy Mother, receive our prayers
as we present them to God.
[State your intentions here.]
O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother,
you intercede for us with your Son.
O Mary conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Amen.
LITURGY LINK
The Scriptures are proclaimed from the ambo during the Liturgy of the Word.
Find the ambo in your church. Describe what it looks like.
FAMILY CHALLENGE
Prayer for Discerning Vocations
On December 12th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pray this prayer as a family asking for her intercession.
Loving Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe,
you asked Juan Diego to help build a Church that would serve a new people in a new land.
You left your image upon his cloak as a visible sign of your love for us,
So that we may come to believe in your Son Jesus, the Christ.
Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego,
help us respond to God's call to build your Son's Church today.
Help us recognize our personal vocation to serve God as married or
single persons or as priests, religious brothers, or religious sisters
as our way to help extend the Reign of God here on earth.
Help us to pay attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
May all of us have the courage of Juan Diego to say "Yes" to our personal call!
May we always encourage one another to follow Jesus, no matter where that path takes us.
Amen.
(Adapted from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers.)
FUN FACTS
John the Baptist was related to Jesus. John's mother, Elizabeth, was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
