Advent 4
Hymns NEH 185, 161, 187, 6
St Michael and All Angels – a Parish under the Patronage of Our Lady of Walsingham
COLLECT
God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son:
grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
FIRST READING (Micah 5: 2-5a)
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (From Ps 80)
## Response: Stir up your might O Lord and come to save us.
1. Hear us O Lord, shepherd of Israel
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim
Stir up your might and save us. R.
2. Restore us O Lord God of hosts,
let you face shine upon us that we may be saved.
May your hand be upon the one at your right hand.
Give us life that we may call upon your name. R.
SECOND READING (Hebrews 10: 5-10)
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God” (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’ When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
HOLY GOSPEL (Luke 1: 39-45)
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
It is a good catholic discipline to make your Sacramental Confession in preparation for celebrating the Feast of Christmas. If you would like to do that, and would like me to hear your confession, just ask and an appointment will be made. Fr John.