What are the liturgical readings for the Sundays of Advent?
Each of the four Sundays of Advent has its own special readings and characteristics: • First Sunday of Advent – The readings look forward to the “End Times” and the coming of the “Day of the Lord” or the “Messianic Age”; the Gospel is an excerpt from the Apocalyptic Discourse of Jesus in one of the Synoptic Gospels. • Second Sunday of Advent – The Gospel readings focus on the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus, the one who came to “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” • Third Sunday of Advent – The Gospel readings continue to focus on John the Baptist, while the first and second readings convey the joy that Christians feel with the increasing closeness of the incarnation and the world’s salvation. • Fourth Sunday of Advent – The Gospels tell of the events that immediately preceded the birth of Jesus, including the dreams and visions of Joseph and Mary of Nazareth. • See the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for the full texts of thes
