Monday of the 4th week of Advent

10And the Lord spoke further to Ahaz, saying: 11Ask for a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, from the depths below, even to the heights above. 12And Ahaz said, “I will not ask, for I will not tempt the Lord.” 13And he said: “Then listen, O house of David. Is it such a small thing for you to trouble men, that you must also trouble my God? 14For this reason, the Lord himself will grant to you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel.

1For the First Sabbath. A Psalm of David. The earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord: the whole world and all that dwells in it.

2For he has founded it upon the seas, and he has prepared it upon the rivers.

3Who will ascend to the mountain of the Lord? And who will stand in his holy place?

4The innocent of hands and the clean of heart, who has not received his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor.

5He will receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God, his Savior.

6This is the generation that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

26Then, in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. 28And upon entering, the Angel said to her: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” 29And when she had heard this, she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be. 30And the Angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God. 31Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name: JESUS. 32He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for eternity. 33And his kingdom shall have no end.” 34Then Mary said to the Angel, “How shall this be done, since I do not know man?” 35And in response, the Angel said to her: “The Holy Spirit will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God. 36And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has herself also conceived a son, in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren. 37For no word will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” And the Angel departed from her.