Week 4 – Revelation and Love
Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 18, 2022
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we relit the candles of Expectation and Hope, Preparation and Peace, and Proclamation and Joy, followed by the lighting of the candle of Revelation and Love, remembering that God’s self-revelation to Abraham, through the Law of Moses, and ultimately in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, was the greatest free act of love ever extended to humanity by its Creator.
- Scripture – Micah 5:2-5a
“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore, he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace..“ - Scripture Reflection
It is just like God to use the least prominent, the least important, the least powerful, the least renowned. Mary was a young, unmarried girl. Joseph was a good, hardworking carpenter. David was smallish shepherd boy. Bethlehem was a small, out of the way suburb of Jerusalem where very little if anything ever happened. But God seeks out the humble. In fact, He favors the humble and casts down the proud. God knows that when we begin to believe there is something special about us apart from Him, we will begin to wander into dangerous and destructive places. But if we will remember our dependence on Him, He will care for us with compassion and attend to our every need. Jesus Christ is the Ancient of Days, who by his blood has paid for all our sin, who by his Spirit sustains and strengthens us. He is the perfect Revelation of who God is, and the embodiment of Divine holy Love.
Prayer
Good Shepherd, feed us with your presence
That we may be made strong, not in ourselves, but in you.
Reveal yourself in our lives, so that we may reveal you to the world.
Fill us with your Love, so that we may both be made holy,
And love as you love.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.