"FIRST IMPRESSIONS"

4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT -C- DEC. 22, 2024

Micah 5: 1-4 Psalm 84 Hebrews 10: 5-10 Luke 1: 39-45
by Jude Siciliano, OP

AN END OF THE YEAR APPEAL

It is that time of the year again when we reach out to you for help. Our weekly emailings now go to almost 4,000 recipients. Our webpage, "Preacher Exchange," has had 11 million "hits" since last Advent. We have kept these Spanish and English resources free so those in poorer parishes and the developing world can have access to them. Judging from the emails I get, that is exactly what is happening. We can't continue this service without your help – so will you?
Every day our community prays for our benefactors. And so, you and your loved ones will be remembered at our daily Eucharist and prayer during these special days of Advent and Christmas.

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Thank you

During Advent we are posting reflections on our webpage drawn from the daily Mass Scriptures. They are written by friars, sisters and laity of the Dominican Family.

For these daily and enriching Advent meditations go to: https://PreacherExchange.com/ And click on the ADVENT link button on the upper left.

Dear Preachers:

We are just days away from Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the One who changed the world. But where are the trumpets, horns, and kettle drums announcing this momentous event? Today's readings don't match the grandeur we might expect. Instead, they are quiet, almost understated, in their anticipation of what is to come.

The prophet Micah predicts the arrival of a new ruler. Speaking to people enduring the Assyrian invasion 700 years before Christ, he addresses their despair over the nation's depleted resources and defenses. Micah assures them that God has not forgotten them; a rescuer will come. But then, Micah surprises his audience with a "Bethlehem promise." The savior will not emerge from grand Jerusalem, but from humble Bethlehem. This ruler will not be a mighty warrior but a child—a promise echoing God's pattern of working through the small and unexpected. Bethlehem, the birthplace of David, Israel's shepherd king, will once again be the site of God's great deeds.

Today's gospel also seems modest in comparison to the extravagant celebrations surrounding Christmas. The world has been abuzz for months—stores bustling, buildings glowing, and festive songs playing wherever we go. Yet Luke directs us to something simpler: the quiet power of God's work in overlooked places.

The gospel narrative tells a family story about two pregnant cousins, Mary and Elizabeth—women of faith. Mary, having just encountered the angel Gabriel, visits Elizabeth. Elizabeth greets her with a profound declaration of faith: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" She sees what others might have missed: Mary's extraordinary faith. Mary heard God's word, trusted it, and acted on it, despite the uncertainties.

To the superficial observer, Mary might appear to be an unfortunate young woman in an unbelievable situation. Elizabeth, too, might simply seem like an elderly woman whose unexpected pregnancy shocked her family. Without faith, people missed the promises God had made through Micah and Gabriel.

This is our call during the Eucharist: to hear God's word, trust in it, and act upon it. God supports us in this through Christ's presence in both the Word and the Eucharist. It may seem like a small thing, but this is how God works: starting with the small and, with our consent, accomplishing the great. Elizabeth's blessing for Mary is a blessing for us as well: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." During Advent, we have repeatedly heard this theme: God makes promises and keeps them.

Elizabeth's proclamation aligns with Micah's prophecy: God works through the lowly and overlooked—two village women from a conquered people—to fulfill divine promises. God's glory unfolds in unexpected ways, often unnoticed by those seeking power, numbers, or grandeur. To recognize God's presence, we need eyes of faith, not the world's limited vision. Our God is a God of surprises.

Many of us do not experience grand epiphanies of God's presence. If we expect obvious, dramatic signs of God's work in our lives, we will often be disappointed, especially during times of struggle. When we face our own "Assyrians," we may feel abandoned. This is likely how the people felt in Micah's time. But Micah reminds them—and us—that God is present, even when we're looking in the wrong places or holding misguided expectations.

When I am struggling, I long for quick, concrete manifestations of God. But today's readings urge me to look with faith. If I do, I will see that I am not alone in facing life's challenges.

Have I noticed God's care in family support, the encouragement of friends, the sacraments, prayer, or the simple determination to keep going? These may not seem like much, but God often works in small, quiet ways. As Bethlehem and two village women of faith show us, God's transformative presence can emerge from the seemingly insignificant. Are we missing the signs of God's work in our lives? Are we missing Someone?

As we approach the Eucharist today, let us give thanks for the faith that allows us to see what we might have otherwise overlooked: God-with-us, revealed in simple, everyday ways.

Click here for a link to this Sunday's readings:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122224.cfm

WILL YOU CONSIDER...

Sending a Christmas card to an inmate on death row? See below.

JUSTICE BULLETIN BOARD

For now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

—Micah 5: 4

It is hard to feel at peace especially with the volatility we see in the Middle East, the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Sudan Civil War, and the rancor we experienced in the November elections. Perhaps we can understand the sense of peace better when we observe that the scripture passage from Micah is combined with the greetings of two very pregnant women in the Gospel of Luke. I can only speak of my own pregnancies, but I remember a profound sense of peace as I approached my due dates. After nine months of anticipation and waiting, it was as if world events just didn't matter. I had found a profound sense of peace-filled being, not doing, within myself. If we are ever going to have peace in the world, we must first seek and preserve this sense of peace within ourselves.

Make a special effort this 4th week of Advent for peace within and with others.

P.S. I hope your journey these Advent weeks has been and is a deeply spiritual one and that it will be part of the new you in the new year. To re-cap our journey:

Week 1- We should prepare ourselves to be open to the love of God all over again.

Week 2- The quickest way to find love is to be love to others, especially the poor.

Week 3- Where kindness is found, there is God in our midst. Rejoice!

Week 4- Seek peace within and with others.

I will close with this gift of a beautiful prayer by Pedro Arrupe, former Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what gets you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evening, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.

May you be blessed with a holy Christmas!

Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director,

Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries

Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. "Faith Book" is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From the Book of the Prophet Micah:

"He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock...

for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth;

he shall be peace."

Reflection:

Through the prophet Micah God's promise has come true in Jesus, "He shall be peace." Our faith in Jesus is expressed by our determination to act as "ambassadors" of the peace the Promised One has brought.

So we ask ourselves:

How can I be an "ambassador of peace" in Jesus' name?

Where and to whom do I need to speak words of forgiveness; be an agent of reconciliation between hostile parties; speak calmly while others are shouting; act justly when the voiceless are being taken advantage of?

POSTCARDS TO DEATH ROW INMATES

"One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is carried out." ---Pope Francis

Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I am posting in this space several inmates' names and locations. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know that: we have not forgotten them; are praying for them and their families; or, whatever personal encouragement you might like to give them. If the inmate responds, you might consider becoming pen pals.

Please write to:

Raymond Thibodeaux	#0515043	(On death row since 3/2/1999)

Lyle May	#0580028	(3/18/1999)

Nathaniel Fair	#0125241	(5/18/1999)

----Central Prison P.O. 247 Phoenix, MD 21131

Please note: Central Prison is in Raleigh, NC., but for security purposes, mail to inmates is processed through a clearing house at the above address in Maryland.

For more information on the Catholic position on the death penalty go to the Catholic Mobilizing Network: http://catholicsmobilizing.org/resources/cacp/

On this page you can sign "The National Catholic Pledge to End the Death Penalty." Also, check the interfaith page for People of Faith Against the Death Penalty: http://www.pfadp.org/

DONATIONS

"First Impressions" is a service to preachers and those wishing to prepare for Sunday worship. It is sponsored by the Dominican Friars. If you would like "First Impressions" sent weekly to a friend, send a note to fr. John Boll, OP at jboll@opsouth.org.

If you would like to support this ministry, please send tax deductible contributions to fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P.

St. Albert Priory 3150 Vince Hagan Drive Irving, Texas 75062-4736

Make checks payable to: Dominican Friars. Or, go to our webpage to make an online donation: http://www.PreacherExchanhe.com/donations.htm

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We have compiled Four CDs for sale: Individual CDs for each Liturgical Year, A, B or C

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If you are a preacher, lead a Lectionary-based scripture group, or are a member of a	liturgical team, these CDs will be helpful in your preparation process. Individual worshipers report they also use these reflections as they prepare for Sunday liturgy.

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