The candle of the Fourth Sunday of Advent is called the Angel’s candle, which symbolizes PEACE. At the birth of Christ the Lord, suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14) At a time when there was a lot of oppression and civil unrest in the Roman province of Judaea, the angels announced the birth of the Messiah to the poor and lowly shepherds. It was a message of peace for those who longed for deliverance from hardship and oppression. But when Christ came, He brought deliverance from a far greater oppression – the bondage of slavery from sin and death.
St. Paul tells the early Christians in Galatia of their new-found freedom in Christ: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7)
May the peace of Christ be with you all!
Prayer for the Fourth Week of Advent
O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy Grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessed Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth were the two women who gave birth miraculously in the Gospels. Mary conceived a child while remaining a virgin, while Elizabeth conceived a child while being barren. Both women played significant roles in salvation history. Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist, the prophet who prepared the way for the Messiah, while Mary is the mother of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The visitation account of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth is an important episode in our faith; not only because it affirms the faith, courage, charity and blessedness of Mary, but also because it contains the words that Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, uttered and which Christians throughout the ages have repeated in prayer.
Elizabeth said to Mary: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:45) Mary believed the angel, a messenger of God, who said that she would give birth to a child even as she had no relations with a man, and that Elizabeth, who was known to be barren, has conceived a son in her old age. (cf. Luke 1:35-36) This would all come to pass because “nothing shall be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
Since Elizabeth was so advanced in age, Mary knew that Elizabeth would need assistance during her pregnancy and childbirth. And so, Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. (Luke 1:39) The distance that Mary traveled was about 80-100 miles, and it would take about three to four days by donkey. The roads to Elizabeth’s house were uneven, dusty and even dangerous, but Mary showed courage and charity by making the long and difficult trip.
As Mary entered the house, Elizabeth affirmed Mary’s blessedness when, filled with the Holy Spirit, she said: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Luke 1:42) That verse, together with the angel’s greeting to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!” (Luke 1:28, Douay-Rheims Bible translation), are found in a manuscript dated 1030 AD; it was a devotional prayer called the Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since then, Christians have repeated these same words in the Hail Mary prayer.
Mary is the model of faith and an inspiration to all who strive to do the will of God; she is the favored one of God (cf. Luke 1:28, NAB, RSV), the one who freely chose to do God’s will by saying ‘yes’ to be the Mother of Christ. Mary showed great courage to do the will of God, even at the risk her own life; for she could be charged with adultery, since she was betrothed to Joseph, and Joseph wouldn’t be the father of her child; but her trust in God’s grace enabled her to say ‘yes’ to God. There are times that we may be willing to do the right thing, but only when it is convenient. But can we still do the right thing when it is no longer easy to do so? Will we trust in God’s grace to carry us through even when there are risks involved? There have been many men and women who exemplified heroic faith and charity since biblical times; nothing could stand in the way of their love of God. Let us pray that God would grant us the same faith, courage and love.
The parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta will participate in Pope Francis’ initiative “For a synodal Church.” This initiative is called “Synod 2021-2023.”The purpose of this synod is not to produce documents, but “to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.” Each parish will hold prayer-centered listening sessions and ultimately produce a report for the archdiocese by March, 2022. We need at least two facilitators for our parish; please contact Fr. Bill if you are willing to volunteer for this role.
Attention all Finance Council members, there will be a meeting in the Conference Room after Mass.
Saint Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) is coming to our church on Christmas Day! Just a reminder to parents and other gift-givers: Please label your gifts and place them under the Christmas Tree, so that Santa Claus can give out the gifts after Mass.