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Three of the candles are purple and one is rose or pink. The purple symbolizes preparation through penance and prayer. Purple is also used during Lent. Another way to see it is purple is a physical sign of healing. When we get hurt, the injury becomes purple. During the time of healing, it remains purple until it clears up. Sin hurts us and we need time to heal from it by using the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, Prayer, Fasting, Indulgences, and genuine Spiritual life.
The rose/pink is for the third Sunday or Gaudete Sunday which means "Sunday of Joy." We are joyous because we are getting closer to Christ's birth. As each week goes on, we light the candle that corresponds to that week.
Reflection on the Catholic Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year A) – December 21, 2025
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, just days before Christmas, the Church's readings draw us deeply into the mystery of the Incarnation: God becoming one of us to dwell among us. The theme resounding through the Scriptures is "Emmanuel" – God with us – a promise of divine presence, faithfulness, and salvation fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
The Lord offers King Ahaz a sign of any magnitude – "deep as the netherworld or high as the sky" – to reassure him amid threats to his kingdom. Ahaz refuses out of false piety, but God provides the sign anyway: "The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."
This prophecy, spoken in a moment of political crisis, reveals God's initiative. He does not abandon His people in fear or doubt; instead, He breaks into history with an unimaginable gift – a child born of a virgin, signifying that God Himself will be with us. In our own lives, we often face uncertainties like Ahaz, hesitant to ask for or accept God's signs. Yet this reading reminds us that God's promises do not depend on our perfection; they flow from His unwavering love.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1-6
"Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory." This psalm calls us to prepare a worthy dwelling for the Lord – clean hands and pure hearts. As we approach Christmas, it echoes the Advent call to readiness: Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Those who seek His face. In light of Emmanuel's coming, we are invited to open our hearts, making room for the King who humbly enters not as a conqueror, but as a child.
Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7
St. Paul opens his letter with a profound summary of the Gospel: Jesus Christ, descended from David according to the flesh, declared Son of God in power by His resurrection. Through Him, we receive grace and are called to belong to Jesus – to the "obedience of faith."
Paul's greeting underscores that Christmas is not merely a sentimental story but the fulfillment of ancient promises, bringing us into divine sonship. We are "beloved of God... called to be holy." This reading bridges the Old Testament prophecy with the New, showing how Jesus embodies God's faithfulness across generations.
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
Matthew narrates the birth of Jesus from Joseph's perspective. Discovering Mary's pregnancy, the righteous Joseph plans a quiet divorce to spare her shame. But an angel appears in a dream: "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home... She will bear a son... and they shall name him Emmanuel." Joseph awakens and obeys, becoming the faithful guardian of the Holy Family.
Joseph emerges as a model of trust and obedience. Faced with scandal and confusion, he listens to God and acts with quiet courage. His "yes" complements Mary's fiat, showing that God's plan often disrupts our expectations yet invites us into something greater. In naming the child Jesus ("God saves") and Emmanuel, the Gospel ties directly to Isaiah, confirming that this child is the divine sign – God truly with us.
Personal Reflection
These readings, on the cusp of Christmas, challenge us to move from waiting to welcoming. Ahaz's refusal contrasts sharply with Joseph's acceptance, reminding us that faith involves risk and surrender. In a world full of noise and distraction, do we, like Joseph, create silence to hear God's voice – perhaps in prayer, Scripture, or the unexpected events of life?
Emmanuel is not a distant promise but a present reality. God is with us in our joys and struggles, in the Eucharist, in the Church, and in the faces of those around us. As Advent ends, may we echo Joseph's obedience and Paul's call to holiness, preparing our hearts as a manger for the Christ Child. This Christmas, let us rejoice: God has not left us alone. He has come to save and dwell with us forever.
Come, Lord Jesus! Emmanuel, be with us today and always.
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