Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Advent.
Given that the fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve fall on the same day I’m sending this week’s post out a day early.
Occasionally I have something in mind to write about but something happens to change my mind. This is one of those weeks. Because of all the attention the Vatican’s directive on blessing those in irregular relationships and same sex relationships I feel that I need to give you a little more information there before talking about the end of Advent as well as Christmas.
On Monday the Vatican issued a short document giving guidance to the bishops, priests, and deacons around the world related to pastoral blessings of people in irregular relationships of one kind or another, including same sex relationships. To read the document for yourself go here: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/12/18/0901/01963.html#en The document looks longer than it is. When I printed only the English portion it was only eight pages. That’s really short by Vatican standards.
My impression is that this is more about reminding the hierarchy of what was already in their power than plowing any new ground. That is, they can, and should, bless people who request it. Blessings are intended to impart God’s grace to the individual and to strengthen the person as they attempt to live out the Christian life. It does not require the person to be free from sin. In this way a blessing differs from a sacrament. There are likely other ways they differ too but for our purposes it’s enough to say they differ in this single way.
The second point is that these irregular relationships, whether they involve same or opposite sex partners, are not being blessed. It is the individuals who are being blessed. So far, this last point is the one causing the most confusion in my view. The document itself takes great pains to make this clear. I’m not someone who thinks the media is the enemy. I appreciate the work most reporters do to keep us informed about events but, in this case, it’s clear many media members didn’t do their due diligence by reading the actual document.
There have been a lot of commentaries online in the last couple of days, some helpful and some not. I want to share two with you. One is from Bishop Paprocki. I think your Bishop did a good job in a small number of words: https://dio.org/catholic-times/bishop-paprocki-issues-statement-on-the-dicastery-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faiths-declaration-on-blessings/
The other commentary I want to share comes from Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago and head of the Province of Chicago, which includes all the dioceses in Illinois. I like Cardinal Cupich very much and I think he did an excellent job of explaining the document. https://www.archchicago.org/en/cardinal-cupich-s-statement/-/article/2023/12/19/statement-of-cardinal-blase-j-cupich-archbishop-of-chicago-on-declaration-fiducia-supplicans
Finally, about this topic, I’m a little disappointed in the timing of the release given that we’re right up against Christmas and that’s what we should really be focused on. On the other hand churches get lots of people at Christmas Masses who don’t routinely attend Mass. It’s likely there will be a lot of people who are in irregular relationships encouraged by the release of this document to attend Mass Sunday and Monday. Midnight Mass particularly has a special place in the hearts of many Catholics, some of whom have fallen away from the Church. I remember greeting at Midnight Mass a number of years ago when a woman came in and just kind of hung out in the main vestibule. I encouraged her to go in and take a seat. She asked, are you sure it’s OK? Of course I did. Who knows what was in her past or what kind of relationship she had with the Church.
While not approving of everything a person does, or even their lifestyle, we need to make sure we’re welcoming our brothers and sisters. I don’t know who to credit for this saying but one of my favorites is that the Church is more a hospital for sinners than a museum for saints. It’s where we encounter the Divine Physician, Christ Himself.
OK, back to Advent and Christmas. The readings for this fourth Sunday of Advent are all about the coming Messiah. The first reading documents the covenant between God and David, in spite of David’s sins by the way, and is the basis for the Jewish and Christian belief that the Messiah will come from the line of David. That’s why the Gospel reading at the Christmas Vigil Mass is always Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus.
The Gospel for this Sunday is the Annunciation from Luke’s Gospel. Interestingly enough I’m writing this on Wednesday and that is today’s Gospel for Mass as well. Anyway, this is where Mary is told by the angel that God wants her to be the vessel through whom His Son will enter our world. Of course, that in-breaking is what we celebrate at Christmas.
As you can see the readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent are closely related to Christmas. For the first couple of weeks we heard about staying awake and preparing for the two comings of Christ. By this last Sunday of Advent we’re all about Christmas. I admit that I’m streaming Christmas music this morning as I’m writing this. It’s especially appropriate this year that on the fourth Sunday of Advent we’re in Christmas mode since Advent will end late Sunday afternoon and Christmas will start.
The readings for Christmas are the same every year. They are different from the Vigil to Midnight to early morning on Christmas Day to Mass later on Christmas Day but not from year to year. In the afternoon or evening Christmas Eve you’ll hear the genealogy of Jesus like I mentioned. At Midnight you’ll hear Luke’s Christmas story. This is the Linus version. If you attend an early morning Mass on Christmas Day you’ll hear about the Shepherds and on into Christmas Day you’ll hear from the beginning of John’s Gospel. You’ll also hear something from Isaiah as the first reading and then a second reading from Acts, Titus, or Hebrews. Taken together all these readings are intended to fill in some of the details about the birth of Christ. As always, it would be a good idea to read the readings before attending Mass if you get a chance. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122523.cfm
The Incarnation, which is what we celebrate at Christmas coupled with Jn 3:16 help us to understand God’s great love for us. While present, even for pretty girls as Lucy said, are nice the greatest gift ever given was when God gave us His Son so that we might be reconciled to Him and saved.
I hope whichever Christmas Mass you attend you feel God’s love and do your best to pass it on to others.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a very happy Christmas as my friends in the UK say, and a great week.
Peace, Bob
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