It is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Today’s Bach cantata is “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben” (Heart and mouth and deed and life):

Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 1:18-25:

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains these words:

Heart and mouth and deed and life
must give testimony of Christ
without fear or hypocrisy,
that He is God and Savior.

Blessed mouth!
Mary makes the inmost part of her soul
known through thanks and praise;
she begins to narrate to herself
the miracle of the Savior,
which He has worked in her as His handmaiden.
O human race,
slave to Satan and to sin,
you are freed
through Christ’s reassuring appearance
from this burden and servitude!
However your mouth and your stubborn spirit
supresses, denies such goodness;
yet know, that according to the scripture,
an all-too-harsh judgment will be yours!

Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]