20 December 2020
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, a day when we celebrate the love of God. Our focus is on Mary, the Mother of God
We have so many wonderful images of Mary meeting the angel Gabriel and receiving the news that she will bear the Christ. This is a carving in ivory from the Eastern Mediterranean – it is housed in the Institute of the Arab World (L’Institut du Monde Arabe) in Paris.
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O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. | O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny From depths of Hell Thy people save And give them victory o’er the grave Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel |
O come, Thou Day-Spring, Come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadows put to flight Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. | O come, O come, Thou Lord of might Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height In ancient times did’st give the Law In cloud, and majesty and awe Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. |
O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heavenly home Make safe the way that leads on high And close the path to misery Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. | John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin |
Prayers at the Advent Wreath
We light the fourth Advent Candle as a sign of our faith in God’s redeeming love. God’s promised Messiah is coming. He brings good news for the poor and oppressed. He will bind up broken hearts. He will proclaim release to those who are held captive.
Loving God, we thank you for your gift of love, shown to us perfectly in Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us prepare our hearts to receive him. Bless us in our prayer. Help us to hear and do your word. We ask it in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord. Amen
Introductory rites
Entrance antiphon – Isaiah 45.8
Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.
Greeting
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The grace and peace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
Liturgy of the word
Greeting of Peace
We are the body of Christ.
God’s Spirit is with us.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God, the Father almighty.
May the Lord accept our sacrifice
for the praise and glory of God’s name,
for our good, and the good of all God’s holy Church.
Communion rite
Communion Antiphon – Isaiah 7.14
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son;
and his name will be called Emmanuel
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
Faithful God,
in this sacrament we receive the promise of salvation.
May we, like the Virgin Mary,
be obedient to your will.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Lo! he comes with clouds descending, once for favoured sinners slain; thousand thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train: Alleluya! God appears, on earth to reign. | Every eye shall now behold him robed in dreadful majesty; those who set at naught and sold him, pierced and nailed him to the tree, deeply wailing shall the true Messiah see. |
Those dear tokens of his passion still his dazzling body bears, cause of endless exultation to his ransomed worshippers: with what rapture gaze we on those glorious scars! | Yea, Amen! Let all adore thee, high on thine eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory, claim the kingdom for thine own; O come quickly; Alleluya! Come, Lord, come! |
Charles Wesley 1707–88 |
Blessing and Dismissal
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
May the almighty and merciful God,
by whose grace you have placed your faith
in the First Coming of his Only Begotten Son
and yearn for his coming again,
sanctify you by the radiance of Christ’s Advent
and enrich you with his blessing. Amen.
As you run the race of this present life,
may he make you firm in faith,
joyful in hope and active in charity. Amen.
So that, rejoicing now with devotion
at the Redeemer’s coming in the flesh,
you may be endowed with the rich reward of eternal life
when he comes again in majesty. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
Enjoy this lovely time of the year as we are preparing for Christmas. Here are some more images of the annunciation that come to us across the centuries.