Sunday 24 December 2023 – IV of Advent

+ From the Gospel according to Luke (1, 26-38)

At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David. The virgin was called Mary. Entering her, he said: “Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with you.”
At these words she was very upset and wondered what sense she had in having a greeting like this. The angel said to her: «Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive a son, you will give birth to him and you will call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel: “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”. The angel replied to her: «The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow. Therefore he who is to be born will be holy and will be called the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, in her old age has also conceived a son and this is the sixth month for her, who was called barren: nothing is impossible with God ».
Then Mary said: «Behold the servant of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word». And the angel walked away from her.

Word of the Lord