FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT A Lectionary #10
Today Mary and Joseph are presented as models for Christian behavior. Once again, as on the previous Sunday, the first reading is quoted in the Gospel. Actually, it is modified somewhat to fit the circumstances of Jesus’ birth.

Isaiah 7:10-14. In its original context, this text expressed the hope of the prophet that a child born to the royal house of David would be the kind of king that would create the messianic age.

Psalm of the Day: Ps (23) 24
A hymn of praise to God the creator. Who can enter the Jerusalem Temple to stand before the creator? Only those who are without sin, who are fully devoted to God.

Let the Lord Enter (Alstott)   JS 25
Let the Lord Enter (Guimont)   GC 897/LPMG 10
Let the Lord Enter (Janco) PRM A4/PMB 563/WS 55
Let the Lord Enter (Proulx/Gelineau)  WOR 775/LPGG 775
Let the Lord Enter (Schiavone)   LP 17/JS 887
Let the Lord Enter (Smith)  MI‑BB
Let the Lord Enter (Smith/Murrray)  CBW 26
Open Wide Your Gates (Keil), ref 2  GC 25/RS 47
Va a Entrar el Señor/Let the Lord Enter (Krisman)   SS

Romans 1:1-7. In the process of introducing himself to the Christian community at Rome, Paul summarizes the early Christian creed that Jesus fulfilled the prophetic teaching about a messiah and that he came from David's royal line “according to the flesh.” By his resurrection he was “established as Son of God in power.”

Matthew 1:18-24. Mary doesn't have a lot to do in this reading: She is presented as having already accepted the action of God—her pregnancy “through the Holy Spirit.” The focus is really on how Joseph will react to her pregnancy. God helps Joseph by a dream, in which the angel quotes a key text from today's first reading. But the decision is still Joseph's. When he awakens, he must trust in his dream—and in Mary—in order to fulfill God's plan.

Songs for the Liturgy

Advent Antiphon (1,G)  CBW 301
All Who Claim the Faith of Jesus (1,G)  RS 897
Ave Maria‑‑Latin/English   WOR 713/WC 951/LMGM 95/GC 772, 774/JS 493, 504/MI‑BB/RS 896, 898/GP 429/PMB 532/SS
Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn (G)  GC 351/WOR 360/CBW 303/RS 494/WC 445/WS 343/SS
Behold a Virgin Bearing Him (1,G)  PMB 203/WC 465
Come, Emmanuel (1)   PMB 192/WC 459/WS 340
*Emmanuel (1)   PMB 193/WC 444/WS 347
God of Adam, God of Joseph (G)  GC 870/RS 960/JS 361
Hail Mary (1,G)  LMGM 98/GC 772, 779/RS 896/MI‑BB/PMB 528/WC 968/WS 692
Hail Mary: Gentle Woman (1,G)  GP 426/GC 779/JS 739/MI‑BB/WC 953/PMB 489/WS 688
Immaculate Mary (1,G)  WOR 708/GP 430/LMGM 99/CBW 463/BB/WC 958/LMGM 99/GC 783/JS 535/RS 890/PMB 530/WS 691/SS
Joy to You (1,G)   PMB 526/WC 956
*Let the Clouds Rain Down (E)   BFW 10/SS 415
*Let the King of Glory Come (Ps)  GP 299/BB/JS 320
*Lift Up Your Heads (Ps)  WOR 363/BB/JS 330/WC 931/PMB 515/SS 473/GC 341
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (1,G)  WOR 374/BB/LMGM 24/GC 373/WC 476/JS 338/GP 320/PMB 210/WS 352/SS
Magnificat/Canticle of Mary (2)  WOR 15, 87, 88, 534, 553/WC 208, 226, 437, 438/MI‑BB/RS 17, 209, 210, 211, 656, 675/GP 163, 291, 292, 427, 428, 433, 434, 436/GC 13, 84, 522, 773, 782/CBW 14I, 575, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678/JS 11, 119, 120, 495, 501, 503, 505/PMB 9, 180, 181, 182/WS 29, 336/SS
My Soul in Stillness Waits (1)  GC 336/RS 495/SS
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (1)  WOR 357/CBW 312/BB/JS 311/GP 293/LMGM 3/GC 323/WC 446/RS 493/PMB 184/WS 346/SS
O Holy Mary (1,G)  MI‑BB/JS 494
Priestly People, v 2 (G) PMB 383/WC 735/WS 529
Savior of the Nations, Come (G)  WOR 372/BB/GC 348/WC 453/JS 321/RS 480/SS
See How the Virgin Waits (1,G)  JS 331/BB
Sing of Mary (1,G)  WOR 404/GP 432/MI‑BB/LMGM 100/WC 962/GC 778/JS 490/PMB 538/WS 685/SS
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came (1,G)  WOR 695/CBW 316/GP 441/BB
The Coming of Our God (1)   BB/WC 454/PMB 191/SS
The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky (1,G)  WOR 405/CBW 464/MI‑BB/JS 514/SS
*The King of Glory (1,Ps)  WOR 501/WC 715/GP 423/MI‑BB/GC 494/JS 487/RS 628/WS 503