Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 11
Ir-Raba’ Ħadd tal-Avvent
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.'”
Qari I mit-Tieni Ktieb ta’ Samwel 7, 1-5.8b-12.14a.16
Meta s-Sultan David mar joqgħod f’daru, u l-Mulej serrħu mill-għedewwa kollha ta’ madwaru, is-sultan qal lil Natan il-profeta: “Issa, ara jien qiegħed f’dar taċ-ċedru, u l-arka ta’ Alla qiegħda f’nofs ta’ tinda!”. U qal Natan lis-sultan: “Kull ma għandek fi ħsiebek li tagħmel, mur agħmlu, għax il-Mulej miegħek”. Imma dak il-lejl stess ġiet il-kelma tal-Mulej lil Natan u qallu: “Mur għid lill-qaddej tiegħi David: ‘Dan jgħid il-Mulej: Se tibnili int dar biex noqgħod fiha? Ara, jiena ħadtek mill-mergħat minn wara l-imrieħel biex tkun prinċep fuq il-poplu tiegħi Iżrael. Dejjem kont miegħek f’kull ma kont tidħol għalih; u meta int qridt l-għedewwa tiegħek kollha minn quddiemek. Issa jiena nibnilek isem kbir jixbah l-ismijiet il-kbar li hawn fid-dinja. Nagħmel post għall-poplu tiegħi Iżrael, u nqiegħdu hemm fejn jgħammar bla biża’, u ma jgħakksuhx iżjed il-ħżiena bħalma għamlu sa minn dejjem, jiġifieri sa minn meta qajjimt l-imħallfin fuq il-poplu tiegħi Iżrael; u nserrħek mill-għedewwa tiegħek kollha. Lilek imbagħad il-Mulej jagħtik kelma li jibnilek dar. U meta inti ttemm żmienek, u tkun striħajt ma’ missirijietek, jiena nqajjem nislek warajk, nisel ħiereġ mill-ġewwieni tiegħek, u nsaħħaħ is-saltna tiegħu. Jiena nkun għalih missier, u hu jkun għalija iben. Il-familja tiegħek u s-saltna tiegħek jibqgħu sħaħ għal dejjem quddiemi. It-tron tiegħek jibqa’ sħiħ għal dejjem’”.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
The promises 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.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 89 (89), 2-5.27.29
R/. (2): It-tjieba tal-Mulej irrid dejjem ngħanni
F’kull żmien ixandar fommi l-fedeltà tiegħek.
Għax jien għedt:
“Tjubitek tibqa’ sħiħa għal dejjem;
bħas-smewwiet int wettaqt il-fedeltà tiegħek”. R/.
“Għamilt patt mal-magħżul tiegħi,
ħlift lil David, il-qaddej tiegħi:
Jien nagħmel li nislek jibqa’ għal dejjem,
li f’kull żmien jibqa’ sħiħ it-tron tiegħek”. R/.
“Hu jsejjaħli: ‘Int missieri
u Alla tiegħi, fortizza u salvazzjoni tiegħi!’.
It-tjieba tiegħi nżommha fuqu għal dejjem,
u l-patt tiegħi miegħu jibqa’ sħiħ”. R/.
Reading 2 ROMANS 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters: To him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever.
Qari II mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 16, 25-27
Ħuti, lil Alla li għandu l-qawwa li jwettaqkom fl-Evanġelju li nħabbar jien, jien u nxandar lil Ġesù Kristu, skont ir-rivelazzjoni tal-misteru li kien moħbi fis-skiet tal-eternità; lil dan li Alla issa rrivelalna dan il-misteru, u għarrfu lill-ġnus bil-kitba tal-Profeti, skont l-ordni tiegħu, Alla ta’ dejjem, biex iwassalhom għall-ubbidjenza tal-fidi; lil dan Alla, waħdu fl-għerf, il-glorja għal dejjem ta’ dejjem b’Ġesù Kristu. Ammen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel LUKE 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Evanġelju Qari skont San Luqa 1, 26-38
F’dak iż-żmien, Alla bagħat l-anġlu Gabrijel f’belt tal-Galilija, jisimha Nazaret, għand xebba, mgħarrsa ma’ raġel jismu Ġużeppi mid-dar ta’ David. Dix-xebba kien jisimha Marija. L-anġlu daħal għandha u qalilha: “Sliem għalik, mimlija bil-grazzja, il-Mulej miegħek”. Hi tħawdet ħafna għal dan il-kliem, u bdiet taħseb bejnha u bejn ruħha x’setgħet qatt tfisser din it-tislima. Iżda l-anġlu qalilha: “Tibżax, Marija, għax int sibt grazzja quddiem Alla. Ara, int se tnissel fil-ġuf u jkollok iben u ssemmih Ġesù. Hu jkun kbir, u jkun jissejjaħ Bin l-Għoli. Il-Mulej Alla jagħtih it-tron ta’ David missieru, u jsaltan għal dejjem fuq dar Ġakobb, u ma jkunx hemm tmiem għas-saltna tiegħu”. Iżda Marija qalet lill-anġlu: “Kif ikun dan, ladarba ma nagħrafx raġel?”. Wieġeb l-anġlu u qalilha: “L-Ispirtu s-Santu jiġi fuqek, u l-qawwa tal-Għoli tixħet id-dell tagħha fuqek. U għalhekk dak li jitwieled minnek ikun qaddis, u jissejjaħ Bin Alla. Ara, l-qariba tiegħek Eliżabetta, fi xjuħitha, hi wkoll nisslet iben fil-ġuf, u ġa għandha sitt xhur dik li għaliha kienu jgħidu li ma jistax ikollha tfal, għax għal Alla ma hemm xejn li ma jistax isir”. Imbagħad qalet Marija: “Ara, jien il-qaddejja tal-Mulej: ħa jsir minni skont kelmtek!” U l-anġlu telaq minn quddiemha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Gabriel’s Announcement to Mary
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. She lived in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, and was engaged to Joseph from the royal house of David. (Luke 1:26, 27) Through the prophet Nathan, David had been divinely promised that his royal line would continue in existence, and this provided the basis for the Messianic hope, the coming of a king greater than David. (2 Samuel 7:8-16; compare Acts 2:30, 31.)
According to the literal reading of the Greek text, the angel greeted her with the words, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord [is] with you.” (See the Notes section below for additional comments.) To be addressed as exceedingly favoured and having God’s attentive care greatly perplexed Mary, causing her to wonder just what this greeting signified. Gabriel reassured her with the words, “fear not,” informed her of having found favour with God, and then told her that she would give birth to a son, to be named Jesus. This son would be great, “be called Son of the Most High,” receive from God the throne or royal authority of his ancestor David, and “reign over the house of Jacob forever.” His kingdom would never come to an end. (Luke 1:28-33)
Unlike Zechariah who responded to Gabriel’s announcement with doubt, Mary only raised the question as to how this would come about as she was unmarried and not intimate with a man. The angel explained to her that this would be made possible through the operation of holy spirit or the “power of the Most High.” Because the conception would result from the mighty working of divine power, the son to be born would be “called holy, [the] Son of God.” (Luke 1:34, 35)
It may well be that, for the first time, Mary learned from Gabriel that her relative Elizabeth, who had long been barren, was in the sixth month of her pregnancy and would give birth to a son. Elizabeth’s pregnancy, as Gabriel indicated, proved that nothing would be impossible with God. (Luke 1:36, 37)
Mary’s response proved to be one of remarkable faith. No virgin had ever conceived through the direct working of God’s mighty power, and she must have known that she would never be able to convince others of having maintained her virginity. Yet, with full trust in the Most High and his care for her and the son to be born, she declared her willingness to be God’s servant, letting everything take place according to what Gabriel had told her. At that point, the angel departed. (Luke 1:38)
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Notes:
>> As a greeting, the Greek term chaíro (“rejoice”) expressed an implied wish for the happiness or well-being of the person being addressed. It functioned much like the Hebrew shalóm (“peace”), which also conveyed the thought of well-being, and may have been the expression Gabriel used.
>> Jesus’ future kingship is described in a way that accommodated common Messianic expectations. The reality, although including an everlasting rule over the “house of Jacob” or Israel, is far grander. Mary, however, would not at that time have been able to grasp a description in terms unfamiliar to her. (Luke 1:32, 33)
>> In Luke 1:35, “holy spirit” and “power of the Most High” are parallel expressions, as are also the words “come upon” and “overshadow.” It should be noted that Mary would not have understood Gabriel’s words to mean anything other than what she knew about God’s spirit from the “holy writings” that were read in the synagogue. Those “holy writings” confirm that “holy spirit” is God’s power, dynamically at work in a holy or pure way for the accomplishment of his will.
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