Finally now in the 4th week of Advent, we hear about what we typi-cally think this season is about: Mary and Joseph find out that they’re having a child and not just any child, but one conceived “through the Holy Spirit… who will save his people from their sins.” Wow. Then so simply: “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had com-manded him and took his wife into his home.” (Matthew 1:24)
In our opening song, “O Come, Divine Messiah” we finally start singing about Christ’s coming into the world:
Dear Savior, haste! Come, come to earth.
Dispel the night and show your face, and bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah; the world in silence waits the day
when hope shall sing its triumph and sadness flee away.
At offertory, we sing “Hail Mary: Gentle Woman” which is taken from Mary’s visit to Elizabeth when Elizabeth declared: “Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Elizabeth and the child in her womb, John the Baptist, both
recognize the presence of God in Mary in her womb.
During Communion, as the second song, we continue to hear from the visit to Elizabeth. This time, it is Mary’s response to Eliza-beth’s greeting: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
Our first Communion song is ‘the’ typical Advent song: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The text is based off from the ‘O Antiphons’ that begin on December 17th at Vespers (Evening Prayer) during the Office Hours (the prayer of the Church). (The text comes from Cologne, Germany – that’s the Cathedral that has the remains of the 3 Kings inside at the back.) These antiphons are recited prior to the Magnificat and refer to various titles of Jesus from scripture:
December 17: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
December 18: O Adonai (O Lord)
December 19: O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
December 20: O Clavis David (O Key of David)
December 21: O Oriens (O Dayspring)
December 22: O Rex Gentium (O King of the nations)
December 23: O Emmanuel (O With Us is God)
We also take time this weekend to bless all expectant mothers as they prepare for the birth of their child. Last year a few parishioners took this opportunity to share this good news with their family members during the service – what a wonderful way to share it! Let us continue to prepare for Christ’s coming into our lives each and every day with as much excitement and preparation as we would for a little baby!