24th December 2017 - 4th Sunday of Advent

On this the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we take a final deep breath to prepare ourselves for the celebration of the mystery of the Nativity of the Lord. On this weeks programme we share the reflection of Sr Dympna Clancy and well as our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel. We have a quick visit through the saints that mark out the day of the Octave of Christmas as well as other odds & ends.

You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE.

Advent Reflection 

Sr Dympna Clancy leads us in an Advent reflection this week and reminds us that instead of viewing the tasks of Christmas preparation such as writing cards or wrapping presents how they can be moments of pray for the person for whom we are writing; a time to pause and pray for the person we are thinking of.

Christmas is certainly a time for children but it is also a time for anyone - child or adult - who seeks hope. It centres around the birth of a Child. Hope has to be centred on a person, and the crib reminds us who that person of hope is - the Babe of Bethlehem, a child full of promise, a child full of peace. When we look at the crib perhaps a couple of questions might be:

• Is this the Person I need right now in my life?
• Is this the Companion I need now who can help me get through the cares and the worries that I have now?
• Is this the Person who can make a difference in my life each day?

It is important to keep the "Christ" in Christmas, the best gift that we have been given. It is important to recall the many blessings that we have, the gifts that we have been given in our lives. We think of many suffering around the world, we should reach out to them in prayer.

Christmas is a celebration of a historic event but how much time do we give to speaking to the person whose birth we are celebrating?

The reflection from Sr Dympna Clancy is excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE. It was originally broadcast in 2012.

Gospel - Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 

Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God. 

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy

Advent Reflections 2015 - Annunciation - Kathleen Norris 

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Octave of Christmas

Saints of the Week

December 25th - Nativity of the Lord
December 26th - St Stephen
December 27th - St John the Apostle
December 28th - The Holy Innocents
December 29th - St Thomas a Becket
December 30th - Blessed Margaret Colonna
December 31st - Feast of the Holy Family