4th Sunday of Advent
Advent’s Last Eight Days
The final eight days of Advent are geared toward a more direct preparation and reflection on the Nativity of Christ. It is the most sacred time of the entire Advent season. The week prior to December 25, while leading up to Christmas is a special time in the Church’s liturgical life, typified by inspiring teachings on the profundity of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Those Scriptural texts enlighten the immediate history of Jesus’ birth – His genesis (12/17), the Annunciation to Joseph (12/18); the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist (12/19); the Annunciation to Mary (12/20); the Visitation (12/21); Mary’s Magnificat (12/22); the circumcision of John (12/23); Zechariah’s Benedictus (12/24).
While this year the fourth Sunday in Advent is observed during that intense period of preparation, depending on the date for Christmas, there could also be two Advent Sundays in those eight days. As weekdays of the end of Advent, December 17 through December 24 are also known as privileged days with proper Scriptures that lead up to the start of Christmastide. Besides the last eight days of Advent, other privileged liturgical seasons or days are the Octave of Christmas and the entire season of Lent. During those times, the prescribed readings and prayers of the day—both for Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours—are so integral to the context of the season that they cannot be changed. Those Scriptural texts enlighten the immediate history of Jesus’ birth.
December 17 – Mt 1:1-17 The Perfect Plan of God
“Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.” Mt 1:15b–16
December 18 – Mt 1:18-25 The Faith of Joseph
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Mt 1:20b–21
December 19 – Lk 1:5-25 Zechariah and his doubts
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” Luke 1:19b–20
December 20 – Lk 1:26-38 Our Blessed Mother and Her Perfect Faith
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” Lk 1:34–38
December 21 – Lk 1:39-45 An Infant Rejoices in the Presence of the Lord!
“Most 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.” Lk 1:42b–45
Sunday, December 22: Lk 1:39-45 – The Visitation
“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Luke 1:45. We are given the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph to reflect upon. Though our Blessed Mother was perfect and St. Joseph was a deeply virtuous man, they were both still fully human and would have walked through Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus’ birth with every human emotion and experience.
December 22 (as weekday): Lk 1:46-56 – Mary’s Magnificat
This prayer is an ecstasy of praise for the inestimable favor bestowed by God on the Virgin, for the mercies shown to Israel, and for the fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham and to the patriarchs. The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer recognized the revolutionary nature of Mary’s song. Before being executed by the Nazis, Bonhoeffer spoke these words in a sermon during Advent 1933, “The song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn. It is at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. This is not the gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings.…This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of mankind.”
December 23: Lk 1:57-66 – Zechariah returns to faith
“So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, ‘John is his name,’ and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.” Lk 1:62–64
December 24: Lk 1:67-79 – Zechariah proclaims his faith
“You, my child, shall be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Lk 1:76–79.
Excerpted from mycatholiclife.com. “Advent — December 17-24”
Nature and dignity 