The Lord is near.

The fourth candle of Advent is called the “Angel Candle” and symbolizes peace.

Jesus came to bring peace to our hearts and to our world!

Mary, the Mother of Jesus who is honored with the title “Ark of the Covenant!”

The Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary the good news: “Hail full of grace,

the Lord is with you….for you shall conceive the Son of God!”

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Micah 5:1-4a

But you,

 Today as we enter this period of one week to the date of Christmas Day.

And in this part of the Book of Genesis, it was told that Israel,

before he passed away gathered all of his family and blessed his sons with various blessings and prayers.

The great King of Israel, who hailed from the tribe of Judah,

and to whom God had promised that his kingdom and his house would sit on the Throne of Israel forever.

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Genesis 49:2, 8-10

"Gather around,

 The sun rises from the East. A new dawn begins in the East.

John the Baptist, recognized the Messiah and so he (John) leaped for joy!

Advent will soon give way to the joy of Christmas! Let us wait for the new dawn, the Sun rising from the Orient!

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Song of Songs 2:8-14 (or Zephaniah 3:14-18a)

The voice of my lover!

 Privileges give us advantages over others. But it can also be quie dangerous.

There lurks in being privileged the danger of undue sense of entitlement.

those who repent are those whom Jesus earlier referred to as the “least in the kingdom of God” 

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Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a

He looked up and saw

 Mary was a simple young maiden in the little town of Nazareth who found favor with God.

She said “yes” to the plan of God. We are all saved.

Her espoused husband, He was a poor carpenter.

Yet these simple people were chosen to raise God's Son.

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Isaiah 7:10-14

Once again Yahweh addressed Ahaz,

 The day takes its common name from the Latin word Gaudete ("Rejoice").

 The third Sunday of Advent, On it, permitted to be rose-coloured vestments were allowed instead of purple.

 Signifies the nearness of the Lord's coming.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.

for the Lord is near at hand; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.

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Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Cry out with joy,

 God’s plan of salvation goes a long way. Long before Jesus would be born.

God would be sending time and again signs of his coming.

John the Baptist is like Samson of the Old Testament. chosen and dedicated.

Jesus, the Nazarene, born in the city of David, Bethlehem,

will become the king of Israel and so thus fulfill the promise of God to Jacob and Jesse.

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Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a

There was a man of Zorah

 『The way of the Lord is the “via crucis. "』

Our Saint of today, St. John of the Cross.
He is one Saint who plumbed the depths of the ways of the Lord.
He understood and lived the way of the Lord, the way of the Cross!

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Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11

Then came the prophet Elijah like a fire,

 Joseph  is kind, He is attentive to the Lord, listening for his word.

Desiring to protect Mary's reputation and save her from shame. 

“O Lord –be merciful to us and grant us the righteousness of Joseph and the obedience of Mary!

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Jeremiah 23:5-8

Yahweh further says,

 God asks that we submit to his will and his commandments.

If we do that, God will lead us and teach us the way that we should go.

They may laugh at us, insult us, or call us hypocrites.

But if we remain faithful in following the Lord, we will live in his presence forever.

St. Lucy, virgin & martyr

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Isaiah 48:17-19

Thus says Yahweh,