Word Wide Open: The Fourth Sunday of Advent (C) - 12/22/24

First Reading (Micah 5:1-4a)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah.

    Thus says the LORD:

    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;

    whose origin is from of old,

        from ancient times.

    Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time

        when she who is to give birth has borne,

    and the rest of his kindred shall return

        to the children of Israel.

    He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock

        by the strength of the LORD,

        in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;

    and they shall remain, for now his greatness

        shall reach to the ends of the earth;

        he shall be peace.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does the Lord bring peace?

Second Reading (Hebrews 10:5-10)

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews. 

Brothers and sisters:

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.’“

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,

holocausts and sin offerings, 

you neither desired nor delighted in.”

These are offered according to the law.

Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will.”

He takes away the first to establish the second.

By this “will,”  we have been consecrated 

through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? Why were the sacrifices offered never enough?

Gospel (Luke 1:39-45)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah, 

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

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?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? What is the significance of the Visitation? Why should Mary be a big part of our faith lives?

Word Wide Open: The Third Sunday of Advent (C) - 12/15/24

First Reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18a)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah.

  Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

        Sing joyfully, O Israel!

    Be glad and exult with all your heart,

        O daughter Jerusalem!

    The LORD has removed the judgment against you

        he has turned away your enemies;

    the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,

        you have no further misfortune to fear.

    On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:

        Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

    The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

        a mighty savior;

    he will rejoice over you with gladness,

        and renew you in his love,

    he will sing joyfully because of you,

        as one sings at festivals.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does His love renew us?

Second Reading (Philippians 4:4-7)

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. 

Brothers and sisters:

Rejoice in the Lord always.

I shall say it again:  rejoice!

Your kindness should be known to all.

The Lord is near.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, 

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, 

make your requests known to God.

Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding 

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we rejoice in the Lord?

Gospel (Luke 3:10-18)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

The crowds asked John the Baptist,

“What should we do?”

He said to them in reply,

“Whoever has two cloaks

should share with the person who has none. 

And whoever has food should do likewise.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,

“Teacher, what should we do?”

He answered them, 

“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”

Soldiers also asked him,

“And what is it that we should do?”

He told them,

“Do not practice extortion, 

do not falsely accuse anyone, 

and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation, 

and all were asking in their hearts 

whether John might be the Christ.

John answered them all, saying, 

“I am baptizing you with water,

but one mightier than I is coming.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor

and to gather the wheat into his barn, 

but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Exhorting them in many other ways, 

he preached good news to the people.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this Gospel reading? How can we give ourselves to others? What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?