Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Reading 1, Second Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 16
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
Gospel, Luke 1:67-79

Reading 1, Second Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 16

1 Once the king had settled into his palace and Yahweh had granted him rest from all the enemies surrounding him,
2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a cedar-wood palace, while the ark of God is under awnings.’
3 Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do whatever you have in mind, for Yahweh is with you.’
4 But that very night, the word of Yahweh came to Nathan:
5 ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Yahweh says this: Are you to build me a temple for me to live in?
8 This is what you must say to my servant David, “Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel;
9 I have been with you wherever you went; I have got rid of all your enemies for you. I am going to make your fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth.
10 I am going to provide a place for my people Israel; I shall plant them there, and there they will live and never be disturbed again; nor will they be oppressed by the wicked any more, as they were in former times
11 ever since the time when I instituted judges to govern my people Israel; and I shall grant you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh furthermore tells you that he will make you a dynasty.
16 Your dynasty and your sovereignty will ever stand firm before me and your throne be for ever secure.” ‘

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

2 for you have said: love is built to last for ever, you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens.
3 ‘I have made a covenant with my Chosen One, sworn an oath to my servant David:
4 I have made your dynasty firm for ever, built your throne stable age after age.
5 The heavens praise your wonders, Yahweh, your constancy in the gathering of your faithful.
27 So I shall make him my first-born, the highest of earthly kings.
28 ‘I shall maintain my faithful love for him always, my covenant with him will stay firm.
29 I have established his dynasty for ever, his throne to be as lasting as the heavens.
29 I have established his dynasty for ever, his throne to be as lasting as the heavens.

Gospel, Luke 1:67-79

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has set them free,
69 and he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David,
70 just as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
71 that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all those who hate us,
72 and show faithful love to our ancestors, and so keep in mind his holy covenant.
73 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
74 that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
75 to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence, all our days.
76 And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Highest, for you will go before the Lord to prepare a way for him,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the faithful love of our God in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us,
79 to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow dark as death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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Reading 1, Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

Gospel, Luke 1:57-66

Reading 1, Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24

1 ‘Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the angel of the covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

2 Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like fullers’ alkali.

3 He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they can make the offering to Yahweh with uprightness.

4 The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be acceptable to Yahweh as in former days, as in the years of old.

23 ‘Look, I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome Day of Yahweh comes.

24 He will reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents, to forestall my putting the country under the curse of destruction.’

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

4 DIRECT me in your ways, Yahweh, and teach me your paths.

5 ENCOURAGE me to walk in your truth and teach me since you are the God who saves me. FOR my hope is in you all day long — such is your generosity, Yahweh.

8 INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh for he brings sinners back to the path.

9 JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble, instructing the poor in his way.

10 KINDNESS unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh’s paths, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

14 ONLY those who fear Yahweh have his secret and his covenant, for their understanding.

Gospel, Luke 1:57-66

57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son;

58 and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy.

59 Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

60 but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said, ‘he is to be called John.’

61 They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name,’

62 and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called.

63 The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished.

64 At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.

65 All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea.

66 All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

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Reading 1, First Samuel 1:24-28

Responsorial Psalm, First Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8

Gospel, Luke 1:46-56

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Reading 1, Zephaniah 3:14-18

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

Gospel, Luke 1:39-45

Reading 1, Zephaniah 3:14-18

14 Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!

15 Yahweh has repealed your sentence; he has turned your enemy away. Yahweh is king among you, Israel, you have nothing more to fear.

16 When that Day comes, the message for Jerusalem will be: Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp.

17 Yahweh your God is there with you, the warrior-Saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you,

18 as on a day of festival. I have taken away your misfortune, no longer need you bear the disgrace of it

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

2 Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre, play for him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3 Sing to him a new song, make sweet music for your cry of victory.

11 but Yahweh’s own plan stands firm for ever, his heart’s counsel from age to age.

12 How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people he has chosen as his heritage.

20 We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield,

21 for in him our heart rejoices, in his holy name we trust.

Gospel, Luke 1:39-45

39 Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah.

40 She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

41 Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

43 Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

44 Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy.

45 Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

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