Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B - Sunday, December 20, 2020 (EPISODE:267)

Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B - Sunday, December 20, 2020
(EPISODE:267)

Readings for 4th Sunday of Advent - B
FIRST READING: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 (diff)
Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27+29. "Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."
SECOND READING: Rom 16:25-27
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 1:38). Alleluia, alleluia! I am the servant of the Lord. May his will for me be done.
GOSPEL: Luke 1:26-38

Image - Shutterstock licensed Image:  stock photo ID:  1203620218. Biblical vector illustration series, Gabriel visits Mary also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By rudall30
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B - Sunday, December 20, 2020, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-advent-4b-episode-267-fourth-sunday-of-advent-year-b  (EPISODE:267)
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* Prologue – The wonderful news of the Annunciation to Mary occurred more than two thousand years ago.  The message Mary received was the start of the fulfilment of God's promise, made to King David one thousand years before that.  That timeline is so long that it is hard to comprehend.

God has a very, very long memory. The people of Israel hoped and trusted in God's promise to King David.  And as the years went on, (and there were many years); that hope was boosted, and then seemingly shattered, then rebuilt.

And now we arrive at the wonderful scene of the Annunciation.  After all this time, (in the fullness of time), God's promise is fulfilled at the home of a humble maiden.

Here we can learn our response from Mary the right response to God's message:  "Be it done to me according to your word."  If only we could all learn to respond to the Lord in such a wonderful way as Mary did!  May we more readily and with joy proclaim:  "Be it done to me according to your word!"

Mary is the model for all of us who want to follow God's ways.  She was a humble servant of God who was faithful to the Lord.  In her lowliness, God chose her for the most important role:  the mother of His Son.

This weekend's gospel, for the closing Sunday of Advent is all about the greatness of that word "YES" in Mary's life and in the lives of all of us who want to be Disciples of Christ. Mary's trust in God's promise is absolute. Mary continues to live according to God's ways, even when the events in her life are confusing and worrying and disorientating. 

It would be a tragedy if Mary's "yes" was the last "yes" in human history! In fact, Mary's YES becomes the pattern for many more "Yesses."
The Hebrew word "Amen" means "yes," --That is, "let it be so." And we say this "yes/ Amen" every time we come forward for the Communion at Eucharist. We say yes, we will be the house where God, in Jesus, makes his home.

We are saying YES. we will take the divine life of God into our bodies, - by the body and blood of Our Lord. And we too say "Let it be done to us, according to your word." So, as amazing and wonderful as it seems, one of God's last known addresses is….within YOU!

One thing I find really striking and challenging.  Mary's wonderful reply to the Angel was very down-to-earth and with no puffed-up pride. She answers: "I am God's servant !!"   Mary is saying to God, "I am your servant. I am your humble slave; let it be done to me according to your word"?

Briefly put:  We are here to do things God's way, not our way.
May this Advent bring us all closer to the Lord because He is always close to us.  God loves us and sends His Son to save us.   Mary intercedes for us as we learn from her complete trust in God's plan and learn to serve her Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.

We say  YES to God's invitation to cooperate in the constant work of building up God's Kingdom, not only in heaven but here and now, in this life. May this coming Christmas celebration be a time of incredible renewal and peace as we allow God's grace to strengthen and build upon our YES.   Inspired by Mary's great YES to God.

O Emmanuel,
king and lawgiver,
Desire of the nations,
Saviour of all people.
Come and set us free.
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Homily:  Fr Peter  - 4th Sunday - Advent – Year B – 2020
As we come to the end of the Advent time for this year, it is valuable to stop for a brief time and see if we have used this time well. It is possible that we have let the secular events of our home or work life take control and take over our good intentions to pray a little more, or try to speak more positively about others or even just take more time to spend with the people we like, rather than doing the tasks that aren't really that important. We may have learnt that in our desire to be more spiritually focussed we realise that we are not masters of our time and gifts, but rather lead by social convention and worldly expectations.

One of the great catch cries of the modern generation is to seek happiness and fulfilment by "doing your own thing". It's what I want that really matters. They believe that happiness lies in having no commitments, no one to answer to, no one whose needs or problems will ever tie us down.

It is, of course, good and necessary to find and do that which deep down we feel called to do. Nevertheless, human nature being what it is, we have to be on our guard. There can be a lot of selfishness in the "do your own thing" approach. It often means taking the easiest path, in the belief that this is where freedom and happiness lie. But this approach is more likely to lead to being swamped by choices and the unhappiness that follows having to make difficult decisions. We find out eventually that we don't have the time or energy to have and do it all, even though it may appear to be on offer.

Here is an important truth: freedom, happiness and fulfilment are more likely to be found in the acceptance of duty, rather than the avoidance of it. However, for this to happen, a grim acceptance of duty is not good enough. It has to be a loving acceptance of duty. The more difficult the task to which we devote ourselves out of love, the more it will exalt us.

In this regard, Mary gives us a great example. She didn't say to the angel,
"Sorry, but I have my own plans. I want to do my own thing". She said, "It's not what I want, but what God wants that matters. Let what God wants be done to me".

Mary made a complete gift of herself to God and accepted the task he gave her. Even though she didn't understand all the implications of it, she trusted that God would give her all the help she needed.

In effect, she was saying, "I don't understand what all this means, but I trust that good things will happen. If not for me, then for others who are important to me". She trusted so deeply in God that she was open to all possibilities. She gave up control over her future and let God define her life.

Life imposes a lot of duties on us. Besides duties to ourselves, there are duties to others and to God. Where would the world be if everyone just thought of themselves, and insisted on doing their own thing?

Some people suspect that God chose someone like Mary who would be so meek that she could do nothing else but do what was expected of her. That is some way she was not really human, not like us. Being chosen by God for such a task does not free her from the human race. Gods' choice for her does not free her from making her choice for God. She was asked to put her freedom, her whole person at the service of God.

If there is any great difference between Mary and ourselves is that she fully responded to be chosen for her role while we remain hesitant and half-hearted about responding to what God asks of us.

Just like Mary, we face God's choice for us, and like her, we are challenged to say "yes". Like all choices, it may ask us to make a sacrifice, to give up or reject one option to fully accept the other. If we could have it all then there would be no choice required at all, but in reality, we do have to make the decision and some time the cost of that decision is putting our freedom at the service of God. What Mary clearly understood was that she was so highly favoured by God, and maybe that is where we have to decide if we truly believe that God has favoured us in a similar way. Maybe we have reached the stage where we don't think we are worth anything in God's or other people's eyes. So listen again to God's word to you:

"Rejoice, highly favoured, for I have chosen you to be holy and live through love in my presence"
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References:
HOMILY:   FR PETER DILLON

PROLOGUE: Fr Paul W. Kelly

Celebrating the Gospels.

My Daily Visitor, Nov-Dec 2011.

Monastery Of Christ In The Desert. Abbot's Homily. http://christdesert.org

Image - Shutterstock licensed Image:  stock photo ID:  1203620218. Biblical vector illustration series, Gabriel visits Mary also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By rudall30.


Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B  (Sunday, December 20, 2020)  (EPISODE:267)

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4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR B –

INTRODUCTION

In the Name of the Father (+) and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord be with you.

Welcome everyone, we gather -  Listen to God's Word and contemplate the sacraments. AS · We continue on our Advent journey. We now light the fourth Advent Candle. The "Angel's Candle" Reminding us of the message of the angels: "Peace on earth, to people of goodwill. .

The Presider lights the fourth candle

O Rising Sun, you are the splendour of eternal light and the sun of justice. O come and enlighten those who yearn for you. Lord Have mercy.

O King of all, Come and save humanity, whom you formed from the clay. Christ Have mercy.

O Immanuel, Lord our God, Come and save us. Lord Have mercy.

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(no Gloria in Advent)

Collect

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son
was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God, forever and ever.

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Prayer after Communion

Having received this pledge of eternal redemption,
we pray, almighty God,
that, as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer,
so we may press forward all the more eagerly
to the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son's Nativity.
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Advent II
EP II
Communion side.  pwk:  RH
(theme variation: 4 )
(pre+post variation: 4)
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{I give thanks to God for your prayers at this time of reflection upon our God.}

Go in peace (glorifying the Lord by your life). .

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

"O Come. Lord. (Advent)" - In Memory of Paolo Mario (Paul) Giacomantonio (1968-2020).
By Paul W. Kelly.  Based on the Ancient church "O Antiphons" of Advent.
Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics, By Stefan Kelk, 2020.

 [ Production - KER - 2020]

May God bless and keep you.

Extra Text : unspoken for Advent: -
             Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)
            
             Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA.
            
             "The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009.
            
             Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993) .+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++