Readings
- Advent 4 – 22.12.2024
Collect.
Contemporary
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.
Micah 5. 2-5a
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.
Canticle: Magnificat (Luke 1. 47-55) or Psalm 80. 1-7
Pointed Canticle: Magnificat (Luke 1. 47-55)
My soul proclaims the / greatness • of the / Lord :
my spirit re/joices in / God my / Saviour;
Who has looked with favour on his / lowly / servant :
from this day all gener/ations • will / call me / blessed;
The Almighty has done / great things / for me :
and / holy / is his / name.
God has mercy on / those who / fear him :
from gener/ation to / gener/ation.
The Lord has shown / strength with • his / arm :
and scattered the / proud in / their con/ceit,
Casting down the mighty / from their / thrones :
and / lifting / up the / lowly.
God has filled the hungry with / good / things :
and has / sent the / rich • away / empty.
He has come to the aid of his / servant / Israel :
to re/member his / promise • of / mercy,
The promise / made • to our / forebears :
to Abraham / and his / children for / ever.
Pointed Psalm:
Psalm 80. 1-7
Hear, O / Shepherd of / Israel :
you that led / Joseph / like a / flock;
Shine forth, you that are enthroned up/on the / cherubim :
before Ephraim, / Benjamin / and Ma/nasseh.
Stir up your / mighty / strength :
and / come to / our sal/vation.
Turn us a/gain, O / God :
show the light of your countenance, / and we / shall be / saved.
O Lord / God of / hosts :
how long will you be angry / at your / people’s / prayer?
You feed them with the / bread of / tears :
you give them a/bundance of / tears to / drink.
You have made us the derision / of our / neighbours :
and our / enemies / laugh us to / scorn.
Turn us again, O / God of / hosts :
show the light of your countenance, / and we / shall be / saved.
Hebrews 10. 5-10
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.
Luke 1. 39-45, [46-55]
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.’
[46-55]
And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’