Ember Wednesday after Gaudete, The Third Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 15, 2021 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)
1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Devotion
The Gospel appointed for Ember Wednesday in Advent emphasizes the link between the birth of the forerunner and the birth of the Christ. The time for the conception of the Christ is set forth in connection with the conception of St. John, so that the angel who first visited St. Zacharias now came to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the greeting, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
As the Gospel for an Ember Day within a penitential season, perhaps this lection might surprise us. But why? When we are mindful of the burden of our sins, and our inability to deliver ourselves from death, what we are most needful of is the consolation which is ours in Christ Jesus. Mary’s response to the words of the angel is one born of faith: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Like all the children of God, she is the recipient of the grace of God, and she serves as an example of faithful submission to the Word of the Lord. The saints of God rejoice at the good news of the coming of the Savior, for it is His righteousness that is credited to all who believe.
Prayer: Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that with the coming solemnity of our Lord’s birth to accomplish our redemption, through Thy holy Word and Sacraments Thou would strength our faith in Christ Jesus, who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Gaudete: Lord, we beseech Thee, give ear to our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our hearts, by Thy gracious visitation; Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Advent: Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
