Reflections
for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
On the Saturday of Ember Week our preparation for Advent has reached
its zenith. Our souls are filled with holy impatience and it seems as
though the Lord now at last comes. But He delays His coming that we
may look into our hearts once more and banish any imperfections that
still stand in the way, that we may prepare ourselves yet more
zealously and be filled with more ardent longing; above all He delays
that the lukewarm and the sluggish may prepare their hearts even at
the eleventh hour and make up for their tardiness by redoubled zeal.
Today's
Mass was formerly celebrated on Saturday night. (Ember Saturday!) It
was only when later this service took place on Saturday morning that
a special Mass was composed by the Church for the Saturday, the
Scriptural passages being borrowed from the Masses of the Ember days.
The Epistle, Collect and post Communion only were newly added.
Therefore the Mass celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Advent includes
the liturgy of the Masses which are said on the Ember days. In the
Introit we exclaim once more with Isaias, “Drop down dew, ye
heavens!”
In
the Collect the Church expresses her concern lest all may not purged
their hearts from sin, and so delay the coming of the Lord.
Ministers
of Christ
Yesterday
the holy ordinations took place in the basilica of St. Peter. To-day
we assemble in spirit with the newly-ordained ministers of God in the
church of the Twelfe Apostles. In the Epistle the Church reminds
these (and us) of the high office held by the successors of the
Apostles as “ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the
mysteries of God.” The newly-ordained, and all priests, shall
(hopefully!) fulfill their sublime office with fidelity and
abandonment to the divine Will.
In
the Gospel we learn the glad tidings that the power of Judea has
fallen and the fullness of time has come. For the last time the
Precursor of the Lord appears and preaches penance, urging all to
prepare the way without delay. The Lord comes to bring salvation to
all, therefore to us also.
Salvation
comes to us through our Lady who is about to give the Redeemer to us.
Therefore let us joyfully greet her with the salutations of the angel
and St. Elizabeth.
