Advent 4
Advent IV
Reader #1: Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for God to send divine love and light into our dark world.
Reader #2: How does this happen?
Reader #1: God’s light comes through Jesus, who became a human being just like you and me, so that he could show us the way back to God’s divine love and light.
All: Purify us, O God, by your daily visitation, so that when your Son Jesus Christ comes, he will find in us a mansion prepared for himself. We thank you for this time of waiting. We thank you that our time of waiting for Jesus is almost over. May we await the Light of the World with joyful anticipation, through Christ our Lord.
Reader #3: A reading from the prophet Micah: “The Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation—someone whose family goes back to ancient times. The LORD will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns to Israel. Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of the LORD his God. His people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness, because he will bring peace. Micah 5:2-5
Reader #1: We continue to wait for the coming of Jesus. Each Sunday during Advent, we have begun in the dark, then we have lit candles. Today, we light all four candles.
All four Advent candles are lit. While this is being done, the following is read:
Reader #2: Each candle that we light reminds us that the Light of the World will soon come to us in the human form of Jesus. Now, at the end of Advent, all four candles burn bright with the hope of God who will come to us. Tonight, when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, we will finally light the center candle that symbolizes the Christ Child.
All: Our time of waiting is almost over. Blessed are we who, with Mary and Elizabeth, believe there will be a fulfillment of God’s promise to us. May we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus. When he comes to us, may we be ready to help him scatter the proud, bring down the powerful, lift up the lowly. May God fill the hungry with good things. May all of God’s people know fullness, justice, peace and love when the Light shines its brightness over our world, when the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. Amen.