Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings

“He Shall Be Peace!”

In this fourth Sunday of Advent, the Church shifts our focus from the prophesies of the end times to the coming birth of our savior, Jesus.

In our first reading (Micah 5:1-4), the prophet Micah proclaimed the role of Bethlehem, the ancient birthplace of King David, as the birthplace of the savior Messiah, who would restore the children of Israel from the scattered lands. The Prophet Micah writes, “You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel … He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God….”

In our Epistle reading (Hebrews 10:5-10), we hear of Jesus's suffering for the sins of the world, in contrast to the repeated and imperfect sacrifice of the priests under the old law. Jesus understood that the continual offering of blood sacrifices did not effect the forgiveness of their sins, so He, perceiving the will of the Father, offered His own body for the forgiveness of sins once, for all. The Hebrews author writes, “When Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“

In our Gospel reading (Luke 1:39-45), we hear of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth proclaimed the child in Mary's womb as "my Lord" as Elizabeth's own child in her womb "leaped for joy" at the sound of Mary's voice. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’”

And so we take heart - it won't be long now. Our Christ is near, and when He comes, He Shall Be Peace! May we take that peace into our hearts and may it rule our lives.