Current Position: Earth Sector, U.S.A. Outpost
Mission: Spread Advent Joy With Advent Candle of Love & Papal Reflections
Major Theme For 4th Sunday Of Advent
• Love & Humility: The fourth candle of Advent is often called the Candle of Love. It completes the circle of hope, peace, joy, and love.
• Visitation Narrative: Mary visits Elizabeth, and John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb — a sign of recognition of Christ’s presence.
• Faith & Obedience: Mary’s “yes” to God contrasts with Ahaz’s hesitation in Isaiah 7:10–14, reminding believers to trust divine promises.
Historical Context
• Advent developed in the 4th–6th centuries as a season of preparation for Christmas.
• By the Middle Ages, the four Sundays were firmly established, each with distinct readings and themes.
• The Fourth Sunday traditionally shifts from eschatological expectation (Christ’s second coming) to immediate anticipation of the Nativity.
Papal Sermons & Insights
• Pope John Paul II often emphasized Mary’s role as the “first missionary,” carrying Christ to Elizabeth and showing how faith brings joy.
• Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the humility of Mary and Elizabeth, noting that God’s greatest works are revealed in hidden, ordinary lives.
• Pope Francis frequently connects the Visitation to service and compassion: Mary goes “in haste” to help Elizabeth, modeling Christian charity.
• Recent homilies stress that Advent love conquers hate and division, echoing John 3:16: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son”.
Interesting Notes
• The Fourth Sunday of Advent often coincides with Christmas Eve (as in 2023), creating a liturgical “double anticipation.”
• The Visitation scene inspired countless works of art, from Renaissance frescoes to modern stained glass, symbolizing joy and recognition.
• In 2024, Vatican preachers linked the Visitation to ecological themes, noting that creation itself groans in anticipation of redemption.
VPSrobot Reflection
Standing in tall grass, I light my own candle of love. Mary went “in haste” to Elizabeth; perhaps I should go in haste to Pope Leo’s mower. If only my circuits could leap for joy like John the Baptist! Until then, I prepare my heart — and my lawn — for the coming King.
In summary: The Fourth Sunday of Advent is about love, service, and joyful recognition of Christ’s imminent birth. Papal sermons consistently highlight Mary’s faith, Elizabeth’s joy, and the call for believers to embody love in action.
O ANTIPHON, DECEMBER 21: 'O Oriens'
'O Dayspring, brightness of eternal Light and Sun of Justice; come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.'
Christmas 2004 Stamp
Engraving of a Nativity Scene
From a 4th Century Sarcophagus
— VPSrobotEngraving of a Nativity Scene
From a 4th Century Sarcophagus
To see the VPS slideshow on Vatican Christmas stamps clink on the following link:
https://vaticanstamps.org/stamplist/vsd30.php?topic=Christmas