MICAH 6.8

"Virgin and Child," Jesus Mafa (Cameroon, Africa, 1973) Hopeful Expectation The Realm of God Is Near Fourth Sunday Of Advent December 18, 2022 SONG—"Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," Charles Wesley (Click Here) Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!" Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th'angelic hosts proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King" Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin's womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th'incarnate Deity, pleased withur Immanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King" Hail the he us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, oaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King" Shepherd of Israel, may Jesus, Emmanuel and son of Mary, be more than just a dream in our hearts. With the apostles, prophets, and saints, save us, restore us, and lead us in the way of grace and peace, that we may bear your promise into the world. O Emmanuel, Humanity waits in darkness longing for your light. In the centre of darkness, rekindle our hope. As we wait for peace in the midst of war, be with us. As we pray for families to be reunited, be with us. As we pray for enemies to be reconciled, be with us. As we pray for lands to be restored, be with us. As we pray for long-term security, be with us. As we pray for kindness and community, be with us. Restore and set right our relationships. Replace the darkness in our hearts with your light and joy. Let your word set alight the hope the world needs to bring to life your love and justice. Amen. SONG —Veni, Veni—(Click Here) Veni veni, Emmanuel captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio. R. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, nascetur pro te Israel! Veni, O Sapientia, quae hic disponis omnia, veni, viam prudentiae ut doceas et gloriae. R. Veni, veni, Adonai, qui populo in Sinai legem dedisti vertice in maiestate gloriae. R. Veni, O Iesse virgula, ex hostis tuos ungula, de specu tuos tartari educ et antro barathri. R. Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica, fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum. R. Veni, veni O Oriens, solare nos adveniens, noctis depelle nebulas, dirasque mortis tenebras. R. Veni, veni, Rex Gentium, veni, Redemptor omnium, ut salvas tuos famulos peccati sibi conscios. R. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that morns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. R. Rejoice! Rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel! O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high, and order all things far and nigh; to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go. R. O come, o come, Thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe. R. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem, from ev'ry foe deliver them that trust Thy mighty power to save, and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. R. O come, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heav'nly home, make safe the way that leads on high, that we no more have cause to sigh. R. O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing nigh; disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadow put to flight. R. O come, Desire of the nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid every strife and quarrel cease and fill the world with heaven's peace. R. Isaiah 7 10 Once more YHWH spoke to Ahaz and said, 11 “Ask for a sign from YHWH your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” 12 But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not put YHWH to a test!” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen, O House of David! Is it not enough for you to weary those around you, must you also weary my God? 14 Therefore, the Holy One will give you a sign: This young woman—(almah)—will become pregnant and will give birth. You will name the child Immanu-El—(God with us). 15 This child will be living on curds and honey by the time it knows how to refuse evil and do good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Psalm 80 1 Shepherd of Israel, hear us, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned on the cherubim, shine out! 2 Shine out before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh! Stir up your power and come to save us! 3 O God, return to us—let your face smile on us, and we will be saved! 4 O Holy One, God of Hosts, how much longer will you fume while your people pray? 5 You fed us on the bread of tears, and made us drink our tears in such measure; 6 you now let our neighbors ridicule us and our enemies treat us with scorn. 7 O God of Hosts, return to us—let your face smile on us and we will be saved! 17 Let your hand rest upon the One at your right side, the Chosen One you raised up for yourself. 18 Then we’ll never turn from you again; our life renewed, we will invoke your Name. 19 O Holy One, God of Hosts, return to us—let your face smile on us and we will be saved! —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Romans 1 1 From Paul, a servant of Jesus, the Chosen and Anointed One, called to be an apostle and set apart to proclaim 2 the Good News, which God promised long ago through the prophets, as the holy scriptures record—the Good News 3 concerning God’s Only Begotten, who was descended from David according to the flesh, 4 but was made the Only Begotten of God in power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Jesus, the Christ, our Savior. 5 We have been favored with apostleship, that we may bring to obedient faith all the nations 6 among whom are you who have been called to belong to Jesus the Christ; 7 To all in Rome, beloved of God and called to be holy people: Grace and peace from the Holy One, our God, and our Savior Jesus the Christ. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. SONG—"Emmanuel," Amy Grant (Click Here) Luke 1 57 When the time came for Elizabeth to deliver, she gave birth to a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard that God had been merciful to her, they shared her joy. 59 When all had assembled for the circumcision on the eighth day, they intended to name the baby after his father Zechariah. 60 But his mother spoke up, “No, he is to be called John.” 61 They pointed out to her, “But no one in your family has this name.” 62 Then they made signs to the father to find out what he wanted the child to be named. 63 The father asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” They were all astonished. 64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65 Their neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea, people were talking about these events. 66 All who heard the news stored it in their hearts and said, “What will this child turn out to be?” For God’s hand was with him. 67 Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Blessed are you, the Most High God of Israel—for you have visited and redeemed your people. 69 You have raised up a mighty savior for us of the house of David, 70 as you promised through the mouths of your holy ones, the prophets of ancient times: 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all our foes. 72 You have shown mercy to our ancestors by remembering the holy Covenant you made with them, 73 the oath you swore to Sarah and Abraham, 74 granting that we, delivered from the hands of our enemies, might serve you without fear, 75 in holiness and justice, in your presence all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you’ll go before our God to prepare the way for the Promised One, 77 giving the people the knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Such is the tender mercy of our God, who from on high will bring the Rising Sun to visit us, 79 to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 In the meantime, the child grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived out in the desert until the day he appeared openly in Israel. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. For your people everywhere that we, like that like Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, may wholeheartedly live our faith traditions and yet remain open to the mystery of God's unconventional work in our lives and the world around us. For openness of heart, that, like that like Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, we may enter into the mystery of God’s loving actions and co-operative with the work of God even when we don not understand how to proceed. For the gift of wisdom, that like Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, we may perceive the invitation of God in the strange and sometimes unreasonable situations into which God calls us. For a deepening of faith, that through the mystery of the Holy One becoming human, we may open ourselves to a fuller sharing in the divine life. For all who are busily preparing for Christmas, that the Holy Spirit will help us to stay aware of whose life we celebrate and to show Christ’s love in all our interactions. For freedom from judging others, that like Joseph, we may hold our judgments so that the work of God may unfold in the hearts and lives of those who are dear to us. For all who are caught by consumerism, that God will free their minds and hearts so that they may hear God’s call and choose the greater good in their use of their time and resources. For all who are away from home this season, that God will guide those serving in the military, as relief workers, or missionaries, protect them from all danger, and bring them home safely in the new year. For the members of the Jewish community, that as they celebrate Hanukkah, they may grow in their awareness of God’s presence and saving action in their lives. For reconciliation within families, that in our celebrations of God being with us, we may forgive past hurts and strive to renew relationships in our families. For all who will be traveling this week, that their journeys may be safe and their visits with friends and loved ones be renewing and refreshing. For all who are burdened by poverty and for those who seek to assist them, that God will open new ways to meet their needs and bring them hope and courage. For peace, that the coming of the Prince of Peace may bring healing and safety to those impacted by domestic violence, civil disturbance, and warfare. —adapted from Joe Milner, St. Louis University Catholic Ministries SONG—"Let There Be Peace On Earth," Jill Jackson / Sy Miller (Click Here)> Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me Let there be peace on earth The peace that was meant to be With God as our father Brothers all are we Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony Let peace begin with me Let this be the moment now With every step I take Let this be my solemn vow To take each moment And live each moment In peace eternally Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me.