Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:1- 4 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Micah

Out of you will be born the one who is to rule over Israel.

The Lord says this:

You, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

the least of the clans of Judah,

out of you will be born for me

the one who is to rule over Israel;

his origin goes back to the distant past,

to the days of old.

The Lord is therefore going to abandon them

till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

Then the remnant of his brothers will come back

to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed his flock

with the power of the Lord,

with the majesty of the name of his God.

They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power

to the ends of the land.

He himself will be peace.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Micah 5:1-4 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Micah

The Lord says to his people:

“You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,

who are one of the little clans of Judea,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to rule in Israel,

whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”

Therefore he shall give them up until the time

when she who is in labour has brought forth;

then the rest of his kindred

shall return to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed his flock

in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall live secure,

for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;

and he shall be the one of peace.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 79:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 (JB)

R. Lord, make us turn to you;

let us see your face and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hear us,

shine forth from your cherubim throne.

O Lord, rouse up your might,

O Lord, come to our help. R.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

look down from heaven and see.

Visit this vine and protect it,

the vine your right hand has planted. R.

May your hand be on the man you have chosen,

the man you have given your strength.

And we shall never forsake you again:

give us life that we may call upon your name. R.

Hebrews 10:5-10 (JB)

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

I am coming to do your will.

This is what Christ said, on coming into the world:

You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,

prepared a body for me.

You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;

then I said,

just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,

‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’

Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hebrews 10:5-10 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

When Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

but a body you have prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings

you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said,

as it is written of me in the scroll of the book,

‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God.'”

When Christ said,

“You have neither desired nor taken pleasure

in sacrifices and offerings

and burnt offerings and sin offerings”

(these are offered according to the law),

then he added,

“See, I have come to do your will.”

He abolishes the first

in order to establish the second.

And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified

through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ

once for all.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Luke 1:38 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the servant of the Lord:

may his will for me be done.

Alleluia!

Matthew 1:23 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

A virgin will give birth to a son;

his name will be Emmanuel: God is with us.

Alleluia!

Luke 1:39-44 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Why should it happen that I am honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:39-44 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Mary set out and went with haste

to a Judean town in the hill country,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the child leaped in her womb.

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

and exclaimed with a loud cry,

“Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And why has this happened to me,

that the mother of my Lord comes to me?

For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting

the child in my womb leaped for joy.

And blessed is she who believed

that there would be a fulfilment

of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.