4th Sunday of Advent
Our attention is now directed fully to the coming of Christ in the Christmas mystery. The
Preface calls us to wonder at this great happening, to prepare for Christmas in prayer
and praise. The psalm tells us to purify our hearts as preparation. Prayer and
reconciliation should be features of these days.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah 7:10-14
The maiden is with child.
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 men
without 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 son
whom she will call ‘Immanuel, ‘
a name which means “God is with us.”
The Word of the Lord
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23
Response: Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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
Jesus Christ, descendant of David, Son of God.
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.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Acclamation Mt 1:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him
Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 1:18-24
Jesus is born of Mary who was betrothed to Joseph, son of David.
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 son and 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.
The Gospel of the Lord
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