Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Lord comes, bringing to light things now hidden in darkness,
and disclosing the purposes of the heart.

Silence

Let us open our hearts and prepare for his coming,
confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

Merciful God,
our maker and our judge,
we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
and in what we have failed to do:
we have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves;
we repent, and are sorry for all our sins.
Father, forgive us.
Strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God,
who has promised forgiveness
to all who turn to him in faith:
pardon you and set you free from all your sins,
strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray.

Gracious God,
whose eternal Word took flesh among us
when Mary placed her life at the service of your will:
prepare our hearts for his coming again
and keep us steadfast in hope,
that we may be ready for the coming of his kingdom;
for his sake, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A reading from the second book of Samuel.

Now when David, the king was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you.’

But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you, David, that the LORD will make you a house.

Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.

For the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.

℟.  Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing.

1  Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.

2  For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.  ℟.

3  ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:

4  “I will establish your line for ever,
and preserve your throne for all generations.”’  ℟.

19  You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people:
‘I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people.

20  I have found David my servant;
with my holy oil have I anointed him.  ℟.

21  My hand will hold him fast
and my arm will make him strong.

22  No enemy shall deceive him,
nor the wicked bring him down.

23  I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.  ℟.

24  My faithfulness and love shall be with him,
and he shall be victorious through my name.

25  I shall make his dominion extend
from the Great Sea to the River.

26  He will say to me, “You are my Father,
my God and the rock of my salvation.”’  ℟.

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.

To God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.

For the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

I am the handmaid of the Lord:
let what you have said be done to me.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

For the Gospel of the Lord,
praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION FOR ADVENT 4

The Holy Mother, Mary, is one of the central themes of this last Sunday before Christmas. On this Sunday we can all honour Mary heartily remembering the wonderfully crucial role she plays in God coming to share our human life on earth.

It is an incredible time within families when a young woman is about to give birth. All attention is one her. . .  until the baby is born, then attention switches to the child. This is how we behave in church during these final days of Advent. Now is the time when we can concentrate on Mary. On then after Christmas Day we shall devote ourselves to her Child and his significance for us eternally.

From the New Testament of the Scriptures there are many images available to describe the role of Mary in the scheme of things. None of these images is as rich and accessible as that of Mary as Mother. So many “real” Christmas cards depict Mary as such, often very beautifully.

For those of us in the Church, Mary can be thought of as Mother of God, and mother of those who believe. The title, Mother of God, comes from the Council of Ephesus in 431 when there was sharp controversy over whether not Jesus was truly God when on earth. After very serious prayer and reflection the Council decided that Mary could and should be called the Mother of God. We know that Christ had always been, begotten by the Father, but that he was born in time by Mary to chare our humanity.

At the time of the Reformation, when there was so much liturgical and theological abuse in the Church, reformers shrank from calling Mary the Mother of God, lest it encourage any persistence of an  over emphasis of Mary. The climate today is kinder to Mary and the people of the Church. We can understand Mary more easily and helpfully without rancour.

The other sense in which Mary is mother is that she is a spiritual mother to all of us. This is a truth which comes to us from John 10:26 when Jesus says from the cross, “Woman, this is your son. The Church has taken this to mean that Mary is the spiritual mother of all the faithful people, represented by John when Jesus spoke these words.

So today we honour Mary the Mother of God and our spiritual mother. Many of us feel that we can readily ask Mary to pray for us because she would care for all the people who follow her Son, surrounded as we are by much trouble and danger as well as happiness and some degree of fulfilment. Mary can be the ideal one to lead us to Jesus the Saviour.

Let us together affirm the faith of the Church:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation,
he came down from heaven;
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life for the world to come. Amen.

As we joyfully await the glorious coming of the Christ,
let us pray for the needs of the church, our community, and the world.

Mary’s quiet “yes” to God became good news for the whole world to hear.
In union with her, let us put our faith in God’s wisdom and love.

• For the church in every land, that it will emerge from the pandemic renewed in the spirit of Mary’s courageous faith. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For the leaders of the world and the people of countries still being ravaged by COVID-19, that safe and effective vaccines will bring the disease under control. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For policy-makers planning measures to promote economic revival, that they will be guided above all by care for the earth and the needs of the poor. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For refugees and asylum seekers subjected to endless detention in Australia’s name, that public support for them will persuade authorities to release them. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For all who are still separated from loved ones by travel and quarantine restrictions, that they will soon be happily reunited. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For those for whom Christmas is a time of loneliness and the risk of violence, that family members, friends and the local community will rally to their support. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For all those who are sick in mind, body or spirit; for all those dealing with the sudden onset of illness, and especially those whose lives are drawing to a close in this time of eager anticipation of new birth. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For ourselves as this difficult year draws to a close, that together we will find joy, peace and love in the celebration of Christ’s birth. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
• For those who have died recently, and for those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, that they will be reborn into eternal life with Mary, Joseph, Mary Magdalene, Thomas and all the saints. Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of boundless mercy, through Mary’s consent and the power of the Spirit your Word took on our human flesh. Set us free to welcome his saving presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gracious God,
by the power of the Spirit
who sanctified the mother of your Son,
make holy all we offer you this day.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.

For all the oracles of the prophets foretold him,
the Virgin Mother longed for him
with love beyond all telling,
John the Baptist sang of his coming
and proclaimed his presence when he came.

It is by his gift that already we rejoice
at the mystery of his Nativity,
so that he may find us watchful in prayer
and exultant in his praise.

And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
as without end we acclaim:

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

You are indeed holy, O Lord,
the fount of all holiness.
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
so that they may become for us
the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

At the time he was betrayed
and entered willingly into his Passion,
he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my body
which will be given up for you.

In a similar way, when supper was ended,
he took the cup
and, once more giving thanks,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and eternal covenant,
which will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

Therefore, as we celebrate
the memorial of his Death and Resurrection,
we offer you, Lord,
the Bread of life and the Cup of salvation,
giving thanks that you have held us worthy
to be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly we pray
that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, your Church,
spread throughout the world,
and bring her to the fullness of charity,
together with Geoffrey our Bishop
and all those whose lives bring hope to this world.

Remember also our brothers and sisters
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection,
and all who have died in your mercy:
welcome them into the light of your presence.
Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
Mary Magdalene and all the Saints
who have pleased you throughout the ages,
we may be worthy to stand in your presence
and may praise and glorify you
through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through whom and with whom and in whom,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honours is yours, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father
in the words our Saviour gave us:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
We who are many are one body,

for we all share in the one bread.

While the bread is broken Agnus Dei is said.

Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Redeemer of the world, grant us your peace.

Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there, and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.