Tuesday, December 23

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent – Year A

First Reading – Malachi 3:1-4, 4:5-6

“Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? “For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Behold, I will send you Eli′jah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse.” 

Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10 and 14

℟ Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

℟ Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

℟ Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

℟ Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Alleluia 

℟ Alleluia!

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church; come and save man, whom your formed from the dust!

℟ Alleluia!

Gospel – Luke 1:57-66

Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari′ah after his father, but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press, Copyright ⓒ 2006.