'Hear the Word!' by Bill Ayres: Fourth Sunday of Advent
A reading from the prophecy of Micah
(Chapter 5:1-4a)
Throughout the church year we hear readings from the major prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, and from several of what are called the minor prophets—Zephaniah, Baruch, and Micah, the last of whom we encounter today. You may notice a common theme in these prophetic readings. The setting is a terrible time for the Hebrew people, usually an exile and period of persecution. But there is always a message of hope that God will save the people through a new leader, a messiah.
We believe that the savior the prophets foretold came in the person of Jesus. He believed it. He called the people together and proclaimed the reign of God beginning here on earth. Many people accepted and followed him, but the religious and political leaders did not. Jesus threatened their power. They wanted to destroy him, but they could only murder him, not destroy him.
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 80)
“Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” That sounds wonderful, but how can we see the face of God? If we have the eyes of love and faith we can see the face of God in our loved ones, in our friends and partners, and in the faces of the faceless and forgotten in our society: the orphan; the elder in a nursing home without family; the single mom working two jobs, struggling to feed her children; and the person begging on the street—perhaps especially that person that is so easy to pass by. May we look more deeply into the faces of God’s children to see his face.
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
(Chapter 10:5-10)
In ancient Judaism there was a tradition of making a series of “sacrifices and offerings” to God. Jesus says here that those gestures are no longer needed. He is the sacrifice and offering. We are saved “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.”
We can see how disturbing this was to the leaders of the temple. They were in charge of the “sacrifices and offerings” but now they were no longer needed. You can imagine how threatened they were by Jesus. Change is often hard. This change was too much for them to accept.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
(Chapter 1:39-45)
Just before this passage in his Gospel, Luke tells us that Mary heard from the angel Gabriel that she would bear a son. She does not know how, since she has “no relations with a man.” Yet, she accepts this role, she trusts God. In this reading, Luke tells us of her visit to her cousin Elizabeth who also is with child. Elizabeth says the infant, who would grow to be John the Baptist, leaped in her womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting. “Blessed are you among women,” Elizabeth declares, “and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Somehow, she sensed that this was a baby like no other.
This is a brief dialogue between these two important women, but it says so much. Mary said yes to God when she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She received the greatest of gifts and accepted it, not knowing the pain and suffering it would bring.
I suspect that you believe, as I do, that the death of a child is the greatest loss a parent can endure. Both of these valiant women lost their children to ghastly murders, but that was not the end for either of them. Their loss was the gain for us all for eternity.
Often, saying yes to God is not easy, but the gifts of the Spirit can help us through. During these final days of Advent, let us reflect on what God has asked us to do that is most challenging in our lives and what gifts he is offering to help us on our journey into the mystery of his ever-present, everlasting love.
Photograph of statue at the Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem, Israel, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
Bill Ayers was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. Bill was a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.
Subscribe
Recent Posts
Topics
- Sharon Krause (136)
- RENEW International (124)
- Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel (111)
- Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres (41)
- Bill Ayres (38)
- Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (21)
- Jesus Christ (16)
- Lent (14)
- Advent (11)
- everyday prayer (11)
- Lenten season (10)
- The Everyday Gospel: Deacon Charles Paolino (10)
- John the Baptist (8)
- Jesus Christ the King (7)
- take time to pray (7)
- trust in God (7)
- Catholic social teaching (6)
- God in daily life (6)
- Gratitude to God (6)
- The Good Shepherd (6)
- forgiveness (6)
- justice (6)
- praying (6)
- resurrection (6)
- Advent prayer (5)
- Dignity and the Death Penalty (5)
- Fifth Sunday of Lent (5)
- Palm Sunday (5)
- Scripture (5)
- Third Sunday of Lent (5)
- gratitude (5)
- patience (5)
- renewing our faith (5)
- Christmas (4)
- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- Fourth Sunday in Lent (4)
- Gifts of the Holy Spirit (4)
- Lenten journey (4)
- Second Sunday of Advent (4)
- Second Sunday of Lent (4)
- Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- Sign of the Cross (4)
- Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- The Holy Spirit accompanies us (4)
- The Resurrection of the Lord (4)
- care for those in poverty (4)
- daily prayer (4)
- death penalty (4)
- epiphany (4)
- faith in Jesus (4)
- first sunday of Lent (4)
- mercy (4)
- prayer (4)
- spontaneous prayer (4)
- suffering servant (4)
- third sunday in ordinary time (4)
- 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)
- 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)
- Awaken to the Spirit (3)
- Easter (3)
- Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (3)
- Fifth Sunday of Easter (3)
- God's forgiveness (3)
- God's gifts (3)
- God's love (3)
- Holy Spirit (3)
- Holy Trinity (3)
- Jesus walks on water (3)
- Marian devotion (3)
- Pentecost (3)
- Seventh Sunday of Easter (3)
- Sixth Sunday of Easter (3)
- Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (3)
- The Ascension (3)
- body and blood of Christ (3)
- celebration of the Eucharist (3)
- dignity of each person (3)
- doubting Thomas (3)
- feast of pentecost (3)
- gifts from God (3)
- good deeds (3)
- humility (3)
- open to the Holy Spirit (3)
- pray for peace (3)
- solemnity of the most holy body and blood of chris (3)
- spreading good news (3)
- woman at the well (3)
- 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- Annunciation (2)
- Baptism of the Lord (2)
- Christ the King (2)
- Christian discipleship (2)
- Christmas Day (2)
- Christmas shopping (2)
- Easter joy (2)
- Easter season of rebirth (2)
- Eucharist (2)
- Feeding the hungry (2)
- First Sunday of Advent (2)
- Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- Fourth Sunday of Easter (2)
- God is love (2)
- God who loves you (2)
- God's unconditional love for all (2)
- Good News (2)
- Holy Eucharist (2)
- Jesus as teacher (2)
- Jesus healing (2)
- Jesus loves us (2)
- Jesus’ Resurrection (2)
- Lent prayer (2)
- Mary (2)
- Mary's House (2)
- Nativity of the Lord (2)
- Spirit of love (2)
- St John the Baptist (2)
- St. Joseph (2)
- Temptation of Christ (2)
- The Rosary (2)
- The golden rule (2)
- Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- attitude of gratitude (2)
- baptism (2)
- bread of life (2)
- distractions from prayer (2)
- divinity of Jesus (2)
- encounter with Christ (2)
- eternal life (2)
- evangelization (2)
- fourth sunday in ordinary time (2)
- fourth sunday of advent (2)
- generosity (2)
- give thanks to God (2)
- good works (2)
- gratefulness (2)
- having faith (2)
- holding grudges (2)
- holy spirit at work (2)
- hope in the Lord (2)
- kindness (2)
- love one another as I love you (2)
- man born blind (2)
- mental incompetence (2)
- need prayer and reflection (2)
- persist in prayer (2)
- prayer life (2)
- prayer of gratitude (2)
- prayers of gratitude (2)
- raising of Lazarus (2)
- reconciliation (2)
- recreate yourself this New Year (2)
- road to Emmaus (2)
- saint (2)
- scripture readings (2)
- second coming of Christ (2)
- second sunday in ordinary time (2)
- servant leadership (2)
- sharing our gifts (2)
- solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (2)
- spiritual grouth (2)
- spiritual renewal (2)
- spread the Gospel (2)
- teaching children about God (2)
- the miraculous catch of fish (2)
- thinking (2)
- third sunday of advent (2)
- transfiguration of the Lord (2)
- use your gifts (2)
- wedding feast at Cana (2)
- woman found in adultery (2)
- words (2)
- 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 4th Sunday of Lent (1)
- Abba (1)
- Acts of love (1)
- Advent journey (1)
- Advent season (1)
- Ascension (1)
- Assumption of Mary (1)
- Be awake (1)
- Birth of John the Baptist (1)
- Book of Wisdom (1)
- Book of the Prophet Amos (1)
- Catholic education (1)
- Charity (1)
- Charles Paolino (1)
- Christ's love (1)
- Christian unity (1)
- Creator God (1)
- Crucifxion (1)
- Dying to new life (1)
- Easter Sunday (1)
- Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Father Son and Holy Spirit (1)
- Feast of the Holy Family (1)
- Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Gentiles (1)
- God always with you (1)
- God full of love (1)
- God is our help (1)
- God is with us (1)
- God's blessings (1)
- God's generosity (1)
- God's guidance (1)
- God's healing (1)
- God's mercy (1)
- God's presence (1)
- God's presence in life (1)
- God's voice (1)
- Good Shepherd (1)
- Hail Holy Queen (1)
- Holy Week (1)
- Inspired by the Holy Spirit (1)
- Jesus Christ is born (1)
- Jesus as high priest (1)
- Jesus feeds the multitude (1)
- Jesus' love (1)
- Jesus' miracles (1)
- Joseph (1)
- Joseph of Arimathea (1)
- Laura DePalma (1)
- Lenten (1)
- Lenten Prayer (1)
- Let the little children come to me (1)
- Love your neighbor as yourself (1)
- Mary Magdalene (1)
- Mary mother of God (1)
- Messiah (1)
- Nativity (1)
- New Covenant (1)
- New Year (1)
- Prediction of the Passion (1)
- Prophet Ezekiel (1)
- Prophet Jeremiah (1)
- Rely on Jesus (1)
- Sadducees (1)
- Saint Peter (1)
- Santa Claus (1)
- Savior of the world (1)
- Second Sunday of Easter (1)
- Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Small-Group Ministry (1)
- Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul (1)
- Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (1)
- Sr. Helen Prejean (1)
- St. Nicholas (1)
- St. Nicholas of Bari (1)
- St. Thomas (1)
- St. patrick (1)
- Suffering Messiah (1)
- Sunday (1)
- Sunday Mass (1)
- Sunday Matters (1)
- Sunday readings (1)
- Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- The Lord's Prayer (1)
- The holy name (1)
- The rich young man (1)
- Third Sunday of Easter (1)
- Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- War in Ukraine (1)
- You shall love the Lord your God (1)
- Zacchaeus (1)
- almsgiving (1)
- applying Scripture to your life (1)
- authentic discipleship (1)
- authority of Jesus (1)
- awareness (1)
- be less judgmental (1)
- being a disciple (1)
- being positive (1)
- bible study (1)
- birth of our Savior (1)
- bread from heaven (1)
- call to discipleship (1)
- catholic renew progam (1)
- centering prayer (1)
- choices (1)
- connecting faith and life (1)
- counting our blessings (1)
- courage (1)
- crèche (1)
- discipleship (1)
- divine mercy (1)
- divorce (1)
- do not be afraid (1)
- driving responsibly (1)
- evangelize by witness (1)
- evangelizer (1)
- fasting (1)
- fear not (1)
- follow Jesus (1)
- follow the gospel (1)
- following the way of the cross (1)
- gift of faith (1)
- giving things up for Lent (1)
- go in peace (1)
- good Samaritan (1)
- good christian lives (1)
- good will (1)
- greatest commandment (1)
- growing in faith (1)
- healing of the blind man (1)
- hope in God (1)
- human dignity (1)
- humanity and divinity of Christ (1)
- humble life (1)
- imitating Jesus (1)
- inclusion (1)
- inner peace (1)
- intimacy with Christ (1)
- joy and wonder of the resurrection (1)
- joy from the Lord (1)
- listening to God (1)
- little prayers (1)
- lives of joy and gladness (1)
- lives of saints (1)
- love of neighbor (1)
- love one another (1)
- love your neighbor (1)
- magnificence of God's love (1)
- marriage (1)
- meek and humble of heart (1)
- mental health (1)
- minister with humility (1)
- ministry of evangelization (1)
- mission (1)
- new beginnings (1)
- online community (1)
- online small groups (1)
- optimism (1)
- parable of the hidden treasure (1)
- parable of the pearl (1)
- parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee (1)
- parables (1)
- patron of the universal catholic church (1)
- peace (1)
- peace of mind (1)
- penance (1)
- persecution (1)
- praying with children (1)
- problem solving (1)
- promise of new life (1)
- reach out to others in mercy and love (1)
- rebrand (1)
- remembering (1)
- renew our faith (1)
- renewed outlook on faith (1)
- respect for the will of God (1)
- restraint (1)
- resurrection in our lives (1)
- sabbath (1)
- saint joseph (1)
- saint nicholas (1)
- saints (1)
- salvation is through Jesus (1)
- say yes to God's will (1)
- saying grace (1)
- season of Lent (1)
- self-awareness (1)
- self-sacrifice (1)
- serenity (1)
- sharing your faith (1)
- silent prayer (1)
- small faith sharing groups (1)
- social justice (1)
- something new (1)
- spend time with Jesus (1)
- starting fresh (1)
- status of women (1)
- suffering (1)
- summer (1)
- summer as time to reflect on God's presence (1)
- thanking God (1)
- the common good (1)
- the examined life (1)
- the just one (1)
- thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- three meditations (1)
- transfiguration (1)
- treatment of women (1)
- true wisdom (1)
- trust in God's mercy (1)
- universal Church (1)
- use time well (1)
- voice crying out in the desert (1)
- we remember (1)
- wedding garment (1)
- wisdom (1)
- women in the Church (1)
- wonder of creation (1)
Share a Comment