The Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday in Advent is the story of the Visitation.
The superb Jesuit Advent online series, Arts & Faith, concludes on the 4th Sunday with a glorious meditation on the 1910 painting, The Visitation, by Edward Ossawa Tanner – the first African American to gain international artistic acclaim. Access it at: www.newpilgrimpath.ie.
Do also visit our Daily Sacred Music for Advent page. A special feature from 17th December will be various recordings, with commentary, of the Great ‘O’ Antiphons, (or Great Advent Antiphons). These are antiphons used at vespers on the last seven days of Advent in many Western Christian traditions.
Praying these antiphons has been a marvellous preparation for Christmas day for almost 2,000 years.