When the holidays hurt, the Gospel still heals.
This Fourth Sunday of Advent ushers in a powerful spiritual shift. Starting December 17, the Church turns its gaze from Christ’s second coming to His first, as we enter the sacred time of the O Antiphons and prepare for the birth of Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). In this episode of All Set for Sunday, Fr. Jonathan Meyer offers a tender and timely reminder: Christ came not only in glory, but also into grief.
Highlights from the episode:
• O Antiphons begin Dec 17, marking a spiritual novena before Christmas. Each evening prayer reflects a title of Christ, like O Wisdom or O Key of David, lines that echo in “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
• Isaiah proclaims the coming of Emmanuel through a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), a promise fulfilled in the Gospel with Mary and Joseph’s quiet courage (Matthew 1:18–24).
• In Romans, St. Paul affirms that this Good News is for all nations, including us (Romans 1:1–7).
• Fr. Meyer shares a moving homily preview. Inspired by a Protestant tradition of “Blue Christmas,” he’ll invite parishioners to write down their holiday burdens and lay them near the nativity, offering their griefs, losses, or loneliness to the One who came to carry them.
• As he beautifully puts it: “Our sufferings are why He came.” Not just to bring joy, but to redeem our sorrow in the mystery of the Incarnation and the Holy Mass.
🎧 Listen to or watch the full episode:
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