Children’s Liturgy of the Word / Fourth Sunday of Advent /John 1: 19 -28 / 24th December 2023

Welcome to the 4th Sunday of Advent Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from 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; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35 And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible. "38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. One of the challenges of faith is to recognize God’s plan for us and to remain open to God’s will and God’s actions in our world. Filled with God’s grace, Mary models for us the kind of faith that is needed to cooperate in God’s plan of salvation. Like Mary, we are given the awesome opportunity to cooperate in God’s saving plan. On this final Sunday of Advent, our Gospel invites us to consider how our preparations for Christmas have made us more aware of God’s grace working in our lives. Gather together your family and talk about what you have been doing as a family to prepare for Christmas. How have these preparations helped you to better celebrate the central mystery of Christmas, the Incarnation? Our Gospel today talks about how Mary was prepared for her role in Christ’s birth. Read today’s Gospel, Luke 1:26-38. Consider the question: What enabled Mary to say yes to God? Which of your Advent activities have made you more aware of God’s grace in your life? Conclude in prayer together that God’s grace will enable your family to be more faithful and obedient to God. Pray together the Magnificat. #catholicprayer #visiodivina #childrensliturgy #prayerandart #visiodivina #scriptureandart #childrensliturgy #sundaygospelreflection #catholicprayer #catholicfamilyprayer Gospel Reflection for Catholic Families through Paintings and Prayer. A time to pray and reflect together on the Sunday Gospel before Mass . The aim to encourage children and their parents to engage with the Gospel in a prayerful way, building a bridge between the Gospel and their lives today and hopefully bringing the family closer to Jesus. John gives testimony that he is preaching and baptizing in order to prepare for the coming of another.