Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
“‘It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29
R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Luke 1:67-79
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
December 24, 2025 // Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent // Christmas Eve
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 1:67-79
Reflect on the Word //
When I finally knelt, rosary in hand, to meditate on the Life of Christ, I was startled by the intensity of my need for God to break through: Lord, I need You. I had been bracketing some difficult news and challenges to get through a busy week. I needed quality time to speak to the Lord and to hear Him. So at this first opportunity to truly pray, the Holy Spirit gave me grace to be utterly vulnerable. My longings, griefs, and fears surfaced and surged.
It was a visceral longing for a savior. Then I came face to face with the mystery of His Birth. As I contemplated the tiring journey of the young Holy Family, I longed for the Light of the World. He is the culmination; His birth is the high point of the Joyful Mysteries. The words of Zechariah from today’s Gospel echo my longing: “[T]he dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78-79).
This perfectly innocent newborn Baby was born in such poverty and at a time when His people were horribly oppressed, not just by worldly rulers but by the darkness of evil and sin. The Alleluia verse and O Antiphon for today comes from today’s Gospel, and refers to Jesus as “Radiant Dawn.” When I consider Him as the radiant dawn, like light breaking through every shadow, I experience the blessedness of the poor in spirit. He is the radiant dawn because He knows my need; God became Man so I could never doubt that He not only knows humanity’s need notionally but in His own flesh. His logic is reflected in the tiny wrinkly hands and feet of a newborn baby—ready to be protected, nurtured, and received.
Sister, tonight is for contemplating the “with-ness” of God; tonight Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us,” comes. This is astounding. May we take courage—with everything we are carrying—in Him Who was truly tested in every way, as Saint Paul says, and draws near to us in need as our timely help.
Relate to the Lord // Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary today (or even simply the third mystery, the Birth of Jesus) and give thanks to God for giving us His Son.
Maria Kim-Ngân Bùi, after twenty years in religious life, is discerning a call to found a community of consecrated religious women dedicated to Our Lady and who will pray reparation for sins against the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pray for conversions, and work for the evangelization of those who have left the Church or feel furthest from the Church.
2026 Prayer Pledge
Get Your Prayerful Planner
