Fourth
Week of Advent
The
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today we light again the
candles of hope,
love,
and joy,
and the fourth PURPLE
candle, the candle of peace.
Christ is the Prince of peace, come to
reconcile us with God and others. Christ
helps us to see that peace is possible.
Advent
4 Sunday
Only with an intense
desire for the coming of Jesus Christ
can we begin to merit His spiritual
gifts. The Catholic Liturgy reminds us,
during these four weeks of the time
during which the world was without
Jesus. To this we implore Him to hasten
His coming.
In the reading which is the Gospel
reading of today's liturgy the Angel
announces that Mary will give birth so a
son. After the announcement, the angel
enters into a short song of praise of
Jesus and in the process quotes from
Samuel, (the promise of the eternal
kingdom of David.) It is He (Jesus) who
is the one who will rule.
Luke 1:26-38
1:26 In the sixth month, the angel
Gabriel was sent from God to a town of
Galilee called Nazareth,
1:27 to a virgin betrothed to a man
named Joseph, of the house of David, and
the virgin's name was Mary.
1:28 And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, favored one! The Lord is
with you."
1:29 But she was greatly troubled at
what was said and pondered what sort of
greeting this might be.
1:30 Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you
have found favor with God.
1:31 Behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you shall name
him Jesus.
1:32 He will be great and will be called
Son of the Most High, and the Lord God
will give him the throne of David his
father,
1:33 and he will rule over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there
will be no end."
1:34 But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be, since I have no
relations with a man?"
1:35 And the angel said to her in reply,
"The holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. Therefore the child to
be born will be called holy, the Son of
God.
1:36 And behold, Elizabeth, your
relative, has also conceived a son in
her old age, and this is the sixth month
for her who was called barren;
1:37 for nothing will be impossible for
God."
1:38 Mary said, "Behold, I am the
handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to
me according to your word." Then
the angel departed from her.
Let us pray, God of power and mercy,
open our hearts in welcome. Remove the
things that hinder us from receiving
Christ with joy, so that we may share
his wisdom and become one with him when
he comes in glory.
Ps.89:2
The promises of the LORD I will sing
forever, proclaim your loyalty through
all ages.
Advent
4 Monday
The
Good News
The reading from Paul to
the Romans makes the all important point
that the mission of Paul (like the
mission of Christ) is to spread the good
news of redemption to the whole world,
beyond the Jews to include even the
Gentile -- among whom are we! Christmas
is the inauguration of that good
news.
Rom. 1:1-10
1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart
for the gospel of God,1:2 which he
promised previously through his prophets
in the holy scriptures,
1:3 the gospel about his Son, descended
from David according to the flesh,
1:4 but established as Son of God in
power according to the spirit of
holiness through resurrection from the
dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1:5 Through him we have received the
grace of apostleship, to bring about the
obedience of faith, for the sake of his
name, among all the Gentiles,
1:6 among whom are you also, who are
called to belong to Jesus Christ;
1:7 to all the beloved of God in Rome,
called to be holy. Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1:8 First, I give thanks to my God
through Jesus Christ for all of you,
because your faith is heralded
throughout the world.
1:9 God is my witness, whom I serve with
my spirit in proclaiming the gospel of
his Son, that I remember you constantly,
1:10 always asking in my prayers that
somehow by God's will I may at last find
my way clear to come to you.
Let us pray, Jesus, you are the light of
the world. Teach us to leave the
darkness behind and to live in your
light. Help us not to hurt each other by
our words and actions. Make us
thoughtful and generous so that we can
be ready to greet you when you come.
Ps. 25:8 Good and upright is the
LORD,
who shows sinners the way,
Advent
4 -
Tuesday
For Tuesday of the Fourth Week of
Advent
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds us that not only are we preparing
for Christmas when we remember how Christ came to Earth the first time, but he
reminds us that Jesus will come again and we must be prepared by following those
things that Jesus taught us by coming to show us the way.
Phil. 3:20b-21
We eagerly await the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will give a
new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of
his glorified body, by his power to subject everything to himself.
Prayer:
Father, you show the world the splendor of your glory in the coming of Christ,
born of the Virgin. Give to us true faith and love to celebrate the mystery of
god made man.
Carol: "Hark! the Herald
Angels Sing."
Advent
4 -
Wednesday
For Wednesday of the Fourth Week
of Advent
Here we are only a few days from Christmas, and we are
probably overwrought with anxiety and stress because there is so much to do.
Instead, we must take time to rejoice in the Lord and take time to be peaceful
in mind and take time to focus on the special time that we are entering into.
Phil. 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice!
Everyone should see how unselfish you are. The Lord is near. Dismiss all
anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and
in petitions full of gratitude. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all
understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.
Prayer:All-powerful God, renew us by the coming feast of
your son and free us from our slavery to sin.
Baruch: 5:5; 4:36 Rise up, Jerusalem, stand on the
heights, and see the joy that is coming to you from God.
Advent
4 - Thursday
For Thursday of the Fourth Week
of Advent
We return to the Prophet Isaiah to recall what was foretold
about the coming of the Lord. As we read the words, we see how this Messiah was
anticipated for thousands of years and how the coming of this Messiah would
reign down justice upon those who earn it.
Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot shall sprout form the stump of Jesse, and from his
roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of
wisdom and of understanding.
A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge
and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he
decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright
for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist, and
faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Prayer:
Father, creator and redeemer of mankind, you decreed, and
your Word became man, born of the Virgin Mary. May we come to share the
divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share our human nature.
Is. 35:4 Say to the anxious: be strong and fear not, our
God will come to save us.
Advent
4 - Friday
For Friday of the Fourth Week of
Advent
In this reading we are brought to the realization that in
celebrating the birth of Christ we are acknowledging that he will come again in
judgment… the Second coming. We know not the hour that He will come again. We
must be prepared for that time.
Romans 13:11-14
It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our
salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far
spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deed of darkness and put on the
armor of light. Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing and
drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of
the flesh.
Prayer:
Father of love, you made a new creation through Jesus
Christ your son. May his coming free us from sin and renew his life within us.
Is. 45:8 Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the
earth bring forth a Savior.
Advent
4 - CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas
Eve
Christmas Eve is
celebrated with holy joy.
Our preparations are over, this
is the time we have waited for, Christ
is born in our hearts.
Soon,
the day which had been prophesied for
many ages will be at hand, and we all
will rejoice. Christ will come again and
he comes to us each time we receive Him
in the Holy Eucharist. We have great
cause for celebration.
The joy of salvation,
through the coming into this world of
our Saviour, remains a joy for all
times.
May renew our lives and faith as
Christians through the celebrations of
this Holy night..
Advent
4 - CHRISTMAS
Today
we celebrate the birth of Our Lord,
Jesus Christ!! Amen! Alleluia!
We
light ALL
the Advent Candles and the Christ Candle
in the center of the Advent Wreath
Let us make this
Christmas a joyous and blessed day.
We are joyful
because our Savior has come. He has come
in History
on that first Christmas night into our
human world, He has come in Mystery
when we receive Him in Holy Eucharist
and He will come in Majesty
on the last day.
Let us rejoice in Christ our Savior!
There is no greater celebration of
the fulfillment at Bethlehem of the
great prophecies which foretold the
coming of Emmanuel and the shining of
His light over all of the world.
Peace
on Earth
A
special Christmas Card from Claudette
& Carol
(lick
on the Angel to download the
card)
visit Claudette's
Bible Study Site
(if
needed for future Years...)
Advent
4 Monday
The
Good News
The reading from Paul to
the Romans makes the all important point
that the mission of Paul (like the
mission of Christ) is to spread the good
news of redemption to the whole world,
beyond the Jews to include even the
Gentile -- among whom are we! Christmas
is the inauguration of that good
news.
Rom. 1:1-10
1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart
for the gospel of God,1:2 which he
promised previously through his prophets
in the holy scriptures,
1:3 the gospel about his Son, descended
from David according to the flesh,
1:4 but established as Son of God in
power according to the spirit of
holiness through resurrection from the
dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1:5 Through him we have received the
grace of apostleship, to bring about the
obedience of faith, for the sake of his
name, among all the Gentiles,
1:6 among whom are you also, who are
called to belong to Jesus Christ;
1:7 to all the beloved of God in Rome,
called to be holy. Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1:8 First, I give thanks to my God
through Jesus Christ for all of you,
because your faith is heralded
throughout the world.
1:9 God is my witness, whom I serve with
my spirit in proclaiming the gospel of
his Son, that I remember you constantly,
1:10 always asking in my prayers that
somehow by God's will I may at last find
my way clear to come to you.
Let us pray, Jesus, you are the light of
the world. Teach us to leave the
darkness behind and to live in your
light. Help us not to hurt each other by
our words and actions. Make us
thoughtful and generous so that we can
be ready to greet you when you come.
Ps. 25:8 Good and upright is the
LORD,
who shows sinners the way,
Advent
4 Tuesday
JOSEPH
The central character in
the reading from Matthew is Joseph, the
first person (besides Mary) to have to
deal with the consequences of the
Incarnation (God taking flesh in Jesus).
It is our conflict, too:
When Christ enters
our lives,
situations arise that make difficult
choices necessary. The angel's big,
full voice is one of great comfort and
encouragement. The Lord's messenger
brings resolution, peace and an answer
to the problem. Matthew is showing that
the prophecy is fulfilled in the
conception of Jesus. Jesus is of divine,
not human, origin.
Mt. 1:18-24
1:18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus
Christ came about. When his mother Mary
was betrothed to Joseph, but before they
lived together, she was found with child
through the holy Spirit.
1:19 Joseph her husband, since he was a
righteous man, yet unwilling to expose
her to shame, decided to divorce her
quietly.
1:20 Such was his intention when,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary your wife into your
home. For it is through the holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in
her.
1:21 She will bear a son and you are to
name him Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins."
1:22 All this took place to fulfill what
the Lord had said through the prophet:
1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be
with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means "God is with us."
1:24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the
angel of the Lord had commanded him and
took his wife into his home.
Let us pray, Father, all-powerful God,
your eternal Word took flesh on our
earth when the Virgin Mary placed her
life at the service of your plan. Lift
our minds in watchful hope to hear the
voice which announces his glory and open
our minds to receive the Spirit who
prepares us for
His coming.
Is 45:8 Let the clouds rain down the
Just One, and the earth bring forth a
Savior.
Advent
4 Wednesday
Be
Alert
Matthew again returns to
the Old Testament passages to show how
Jesus was called out of Egypt. We forget
the terrible tragedy that followed
Christ’s birth as Herod slaughtered
the innocents looking to kill the
newborn king. Praise God we serve a king
who knows what tragedy is about.
Matthew
2:13 Now when they had departed, behold,
an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph
in a dream, saying, "Arise and take
the Child and His mother, and flee to
Egypt, and remain there until I tell
you; for Herod is going to search for
the Child to destroy Him." 14 And
he arose and took the Child and His
mother by night, and departed for Egypt;
15 and was there until the death of
Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord
through the prophet might be fulfilled,
saying, "OUT OF EGYPT DID I CALL MY
SON." 16 Then when Herod saw that
he had been tricked by the magi, he
became very enraged, and sent and slew
all the male children who were in
Bethlehem and in all its environs, from
two years old and under, according to
the time which he had ascertained from
the magi. 17 Then that which was spoken
through Jeremiah the prophet was
fulfilled, saying, 18 "A VOICE WAS
HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT
MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER
CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE
COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO
MORE."
119:12 Blessed are you,
O LORD;
teach me your laws.
Advent
4 Thursday
The
time is at hand
Once the threat of
murder by Herod was removed, they
returned to Israel and settled in the
city of Nazareth. Notice again that the
writer says that this was done so that
the word of the prophets might be
fulfilled. Praise God that He is
faithful in following through on the
promises that He has made!
Matthew
2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an
angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20
"Arise and take the Child and His
mother, and go into the land of Israel;
for those who sought the Child's life
are dead." 21 And he arose and took
the Child and His mother, and came into
the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard
that Archelaus was reigning over Judea
in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go there. And being warned by
God in a dream, he departed for the
regions of Galilee, 23 and came and
resided in a city called Nazareth, that
what was spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled, "He shall be
called a Nazarene."
50:1 A psalm of Asaph.
I
The LORD, the God of gods,
has spoken and summoned the earth
from the rising of the sun to its
setting.
50:2 From Zion God shines forth.
perfect in beauty.
50:3 Our God comes and will not be
silent!
