ADVENT 4 YEAR A
FIRST READING Isaiah 7.10–16
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
10 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11 ‘Ask a sign of the LORD your God;
let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’
12 But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask,
and I will not put the LORD to the test.’
13 Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David!
Is it too little for you to weary mortals,
that you weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son,
and shall name him Immanuel.
15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time
he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good,
the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.’
PSALM Psalm 80.1–7, 16–18
R Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved.
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your strength and come to help us. R
[ 3 Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance
and we shall be saved. ]
4 O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbours,
and our enemies laugh us to scorn. R
[ 7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance
and we shall be saved. ]
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand,
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you;
give us life, that we may call upon your name. R
[ 18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance
and we shall be saved. ]
SECOND READING Romans 1.1–7
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle,
set apart for the gospel of God,
2 which he promised beforehand
through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
3 the gospel concerning his Son,
who was descended from David according to the flesh
4 and was declared to be Son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness
by resurrection from the dead,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Through Christ we have received grace and apostleship
to bring about the obedience of faith
among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all God’s beloved in Rome,
who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL Matthew 1.18–25
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
18 The birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way.
When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man
and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace,
planned to dismiss her quietly.
20 But just when he had resolved to do this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
‘Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,
for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son,
and you are to name him Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.’
22 All this took place
to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,’
which means, ‘God is with us.’
24 When Joseph awoke from sleep,
he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him;
he took her as his wife,
25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;
and he named him Jesus.
CHRISTMAS DAY 25 December
The following set of readings may be used on the evening of Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.
FIRST READING Isaiah 52.7–10
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the LORD to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
PSALM Psalm 98
R All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvellous things.
2 With his right hand and his holy arm
has he won for himself the victory. R
3 The Lord has made known his victory;
his righteousness has he openly shown
in the sight of the nations.
4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness
to the house of Israel,
and all the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God. R
5 Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;
lift up your voice, rejoice and sing.
6 Sing to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the voice of song.
7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy before the King, the Lord. R
8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it,
the lands and those who dwell therein.
9 Let the rivers clap their hands,
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
when he comes to judge the earth.
10 In righteousness shall he judge the world,
and the peoples with equity. R
SECOND READING (Short or long reading)
Hebrews 1.1–4, (5–12)
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors
in many and various ways by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things,
through whom he also created the worlds.
3 He is the reflection of God’s glory
and the exact imprint of God’s very being,
and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
When he had made purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much superior to angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
[ 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
‘You are my Son;
today I have begotten you’?
Or again,
‘I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son’?
6 And again,
when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’
7 Of the angels he says,
‘He makes his angels winds,
and his servants flames of fire.’
8 But of the Son he says,
‘Your throne, O God,
is for ever and ever,
and the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God,
has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’
10 And, ‘In the beginning, Lord,
you founded the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like clothing;
12 like a cloak you will roll them up,
and like clothing they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will never end.’ ]
GOSPEL John 1.1–14
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being.
4 What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
8 He himself was not the light,
but he came to testify to the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone,
was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world,
and the world came into being through him;
yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to what was his own,
and his own people did not accept him.
12 But to all who received him,
who believed in his name,
he gave power to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood
or of the will of the flesh
or of the will of man
but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory,
the glory as of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.