4th Sunday of Advent
Saint Peter Canisius, priest, Doctor
O Oriens ( O Rising sun)
Psalter: Week IV
Purple
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Is 45: 8
Drop down dew from above, you heavens,and let the clouds rain down the Just One;let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.
Collect
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,your grace into our hearts,that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Sonwas made known by the message of an Angel,may by his Passion and Crossbe brought to the glory of his Resurrection.Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’ Then Isaiah said:‘Listen now, House of David:are you not satisfied with trying the patience of menwithout trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore,will give you a sign.It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a sonwhom she will call Immanuel,a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23(24):1-6
R/ Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples.It is he who set it on the seas;on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?The man with clean hands and pure heart,who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him.Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Second reading: Romans 1:1-7
From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through his prophets in the scriptures.This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ. To you all, then, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt1:23
Alleluia, alleluia! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a sonand they will call him Emmanuel,a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:The virgin will conceive and give birth to a sonand they will call him Emmanuel,a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the Holy Spirit, O Lord,sanctify these gifts laid upon your altar,just as he filled with his power the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Is 7: 14
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son;and his name will be called Emmanuel.
Prayer after Communion
Having received this pledge of eternal redemption,we pray, almighty God,that, as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer,so we may press forward all the more eagerlyto the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son’s Nativity.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Today’s gospel revolves around Saint Joseph, who initially plans to discreetly divorce Mary upon learning of her pregnancy. However, an angel reassures him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Joseph’s fear does not stem from taking Mary as his wife but rather from the apprehension of the responsibilities and challenges associated with being the foster father of Jesus – the Messiah. This attitude mirrors that of contemporary Christians who seek God’s blessings yet shy away from making the necessary sacrifices and paying the price. In a similar vein, many are eager to hear inspiring sermons but are not ready to live out the profound words spoken to them. Overcoming these fears and redirecting our focus on Christ is essential for success in our spiritual journey.