The Gospel
for the
4th Sunday of
Advent
| In those days Mary set out
and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child
leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has
this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child
in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed
that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her
by the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked
with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from
now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty
One has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation
to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He
has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted
up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and
sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid his child
Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the
promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his
descendants forever." ~ Luke 1: 39-55 |
