Sunday, 22 December 2024
Fourth Sunday of Advent.
Antiphons on p. 86 and Readings on p. 90 of the Daily Missal and p. 787 of the Sunday Missal.
First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a
Thus says the Lord:
You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are little 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 days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour pains has brought forth;
then the rest of his brethren 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 dwell secure, for now, he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
And this shall be peace.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80:2ac & 3b.15-16a.18-19 (R. 4)
R/. O God, bring us back;
let your face shine on us, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
enthroned on the cherubim, shine forth
Rouse up your might and come to save us.
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.
May your hand be on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have confirmed as your own.
And we shall never forsake you again;
give us life that we may call upon your name.
R/. O God, bring us back;
let your face shine on us, and we shall be saved.
Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
Brothers and sisters:
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, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,’
as it is written of me in the roll of the book.”
When he said above,
“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,
“Behold, I have come to do your will.”
He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.
And by that will we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.
The Word of the Lord.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord:
let it be to me according to your word.
Alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 1:39-45
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
In those days
Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country,
to a city of Judah,
and she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary,
the child leapt in her womb;
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And why is this granted me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears,
the child in my womb leapt for joy.
And blessed is she who believed
that there would be a fulfilment
of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
