4 Advent/Year C
Dec 19, 2021
Micah 5:2-5a; Canticle 15; Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
How can it be, that today is already the 4th Sunday of Advent…
How can it be, that Christmas is less than a week away now…
It seems like it was just last Sunday that I was shouting out Happy New Year to all of you, as we began the new church year on Nov 28th!
It seems like we just started lighting the candles on the advent wreath…beginning with Hope on week 1…but today, seemingly in the blink of an eye, here we are lighting the 4th candle for Love…along with the other candles for Hope, Peace, and Joy…
It seems like I was just getting started with singing the praises of the Advent season and its’ abundance of gifts that it has to offer us when we take the time to slow down, to be here now, and take the time to meditate and reflect more deeply on the scriptures, the stories and the songs of Advent…
It seems like it was just yesterday that I was encouraging you and reminding you, in this season of Advent, in this season of waiting and preparation… to set aside time each week to read and re-read the scriptures, the canticles, and the music appointed for each Sunday that sings out joyfully with the good news of what God is about to do…and is already doing in our lives today; and to be on the look-out for the opportunities that are plentiful to share the gifts of this advent season with others… the gifts of hope, of peace, of joy and of course, Love…God’s love…the greatest gift of all…
Yes, I do believe that with all of my heart, my soul, and my mind that this Love, God’s Love…is truly the greatest gift of all…
It is this Love, the gift given and meant for all of us of God’s own self, who came among us, as the One we have come to know as Jesus…whose birth we celebrate each year on Christmas Day and whose coming again we anticipate with joy and wait with hopeful expectation….
In today’s gospel reading, we are witness to an incredible moment of joyful anticipation and hopeful expectation between Elizabeth and Mary…Both pregnant…and in humble awe and wonder of it all…
Elizabeth is bubbling over with joy at the visitation of Mary and the news she has shared with her…
Mary is full of hope and breaks out into her own song of praise…proclaiming the greatness of God’s love…
A love that her spirit rejoices in, a love that has pronounced a blessing upon her, a love that has done great things for her, a love that is merciful, a love that is about to turn the world upside down and therefore right side up…
A love that is about to change everything and everyone it touches….
A love that has the power to transform lives for those who believe….
I believe with all of my heart, my soul, and my mind that Love, God’s Love…is truly the greatest gift of all…
I hope this Advent season has affirmed this belief in your own hearts, in your own souls and in your own minds too.
And as we journey together throughout this last week of Advent, pondering all the gifts this season has to offer us, and as we draw near to Christmas Day….I wonder if you too believe, that in addition to sharing the gifts of hope and peace and joy with one another, the greatest gift we can give and receive in this Holy season and in all the seasons of our lives…is the Gift of God’s love….
Let us pray now, as we begin this final week of Advent with joyful anticipation and hopeful expectation…in the words and music of Hymn 66 – Come, thou long-expected Jesus…
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, AK
The Hymnal 1982 - #66 Come, thou long-expected Jesus
1 Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art:
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a king,
born to reign in us for ever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.