December 19, 2021

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 12

Reading I

Mi 5:1-4a

    Thus says the LORD:
    You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
        too small to be among the clans of Judah,
    from you shall come forth for me
        one who is to be ruler in Israel;
    whose origin is from of old,
        from ancient times.
    Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
        when she who is to give birth has borne,
    and the rest of his kindred shall return
        to the children of Israel.
    He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
        by the strength of the LORD,
        in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
    and they shall remain, for now his greatness
        shall reach to the ends of the earth;
        he shall be peace.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19.

1. (4)  Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
   O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
       from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
   Rouse your power,
       and come to save us.
   R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
   Once again, O LORD of hosts,
       look down from heaven, and see;
   take care of this vine,
       and protect what your right hand has planted
   the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
   R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
   May your help be with the man of your right hand,
       with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
   Then we will no more withdraw from you;
       give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
   R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Reading II

Heb 10:5-10

Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
    “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
        but a body you prepared for me;
    in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
    Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
    behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings, 
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,”  we have been consecrated 
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Alleluia

Lk 1:38

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
   May it be done to me according to your word.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 1:39-45

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah, 
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb, 
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 
cried out in a loud voice and said, 
“Blessed are you among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, 
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

Reflection: THE WOMEN OF FAITH

The liturgy of the Word of the 4th Sunday of Advent invites us to contemplate on two examples of unflinching faith: Mary and Elizabeth. Luke's Gospel has several references to women, and he presents them as role-models of faith. Mary and Elizabeth, through their faith, cooperated with God in the history of salvation: Elizabeth conceived in her ripe old age and Mary while still a virgin, conceived through the Holy Spirit. She believed in the words of the angel and gave her unconditional consent. Her going in haste to meet Elizabeth is the proof of her belief. How can a woman in her old age conceive? Mary just believed. She hastened to share in the joy of Elizabeth. Affirming this aspect of her life, Pope Paul VI declares that Mary has, "fully and responsibly accepted the word of God and acted on it... charity and the spirit of service were the driving force of her actions.” At the first instance of their encounter, Elizabeth acknowledged the greatness of Mary and the Good News about her conception. The words of Elizabeth "Blessed are you among women” link Mary to the chosen women of the Israel's history who delivered them from moments of crisis. Mary enjoys the privilege of being the “blessed among women” since she plays a vital role in saving the entire humanity from spiritual crisis. The expression, “And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Lk 1:43) reveals that Elizabeth too was filled with the Spirit and was able to recognize the babe in the womb of Mary as the Lord and Saviour. Luke refers to a parallel in the Old Testament when king David exclaims the same sentiments when the Arc of the Covenant was being carried to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:9). Here, Elizabeth acclaims that Mary is the new Arc of the Covenant. The child in her womb responds with joy to the presence of God in Mary's womb. Mary continues to come to us in our moments of need. Let us be thankful to her maternal protection.