Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Fourth Sunday in Advent (O Clavis)

Divine Office

Order of service for Morning and Evening Prayer.

Services and Events

Opening Prayer

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.

First Reading

Micah 5.2-5a
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.

The LORD says to his people:
2 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.
3 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.
4 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;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 80.1-7
R Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved.

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your strength and come to help us. R
[ 3 Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance
and we shall be saved. ]
4 O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbours,
and our enemies laugh us to scorn. R
[ 7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance
and we shall be saved. ]

Second Reading

Hebrews 10.5-10
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.

5 When Christ came into the world, he said,
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
6 in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 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).’
8 When Christ said,
‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure
in sacrifices and offerings
and burnt offerings and sin offerings’
(these are offered according to the law),
9 then he added,
‘See, I have come to do your will.’
He abolishes the first
in order to establish the second.
10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.

Acclamation

Alleluia! Truly I tell you, says the Lord, there are some standing here who will not taste death before the see the kingdom of God. Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 1.39-45
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

39 Mary set out and went with haste
to a Judean town in the hill country,
40 where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child leapt in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
42 and exclaimed with a loud cry,
‘Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And why has this happened to me,
that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting,
the child in my womb leapt for joy.
45 And blessed is she who believed
that there would be a fulfilment
of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,
who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of the promised saviour:
fill us your servants with your grace,
that in all things we may embrace your holy will
and with her rejoice in your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.