Advent 2015: The Fourth Sunday

On the fourth Sunday of Advent we light the Angel's Candle symbolizing the annunciation of Christ's birth.

The Annuciation of Mary                                                 Salvador Dali, lithograph, 1967

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a Virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. Fornothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

                                                                                 Luke 1:26-38 NIV


Music for the day is the 15th century English song text, Adam Lay Ybounden, performed by the Mediaeval Babes.

Middle English...

Adam lay ibounden 

Bounden in a bond 

Foure thousand winter 

Thought he not too long 

And all was for an apple 

An apple that he tok 

As clerkes finden 

Wreten in here book 

Ne hadde the apple take ben 

The apple taken ben 

Ne hadde never our lady 

A ben hevene queen 

Blissed be the time 

That apple take was 

Therefore we moun singen 

"Deo gracias!"

Modern English ...

Adam lay in bondage

Bound by a contract

For four thousand winters

That he hadn't thought would be too long

And all because of an apple

An apple that he took

As clerics found 

Written in this book

Had the apple never been taken

The apple been taken

Neither would our Lady ever have

Been the Queen of Heaven

So blessed be the moment

That apple was taken

For now we can sing

"Thanks be to God"