It is almost Christmas! One of the things I love about the 4th week of Advent is how God makes that week sometimes a whole week and sometimes very short! This year the 4th week of Advent starts at sundown Saturday night (part of our Judeo/Christian heritage) and ends on Wednesday evening when Christmas Eve begins! Some years you have the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas is the following Sunday! That 4th week lasts a whole week! Then other years we have the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas is on Monday the next day! I love seeing how long or short God’s week is!
The Gospel for the 4th Sunday of Advent:
Gospel LK 1:26-38
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
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.
Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
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.