Feria III infra Hebdomadam IV Adventus ~ II. classis
As we draw closer to the great Solemnity of the Nativity, the liturgy of Feria Tertia in the Fourth Week of Advent offers a deeply contemplative pairing of readings: 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 and Luke 1:28. Together, they draw us into the quiet interiority of waiting, of service, and of faithful stewardship, revealing the spirit with which the Church prepares for the coming of the Lord—not only in history, but in every soul disposed to receive Him.
“Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Cor. 4:1)
St. Paul speaks to the Corinthian Church not with self-promotion, but with the quiet dignity of one entrusted. The word ministers (ὑπηρέτας) suggests those who labor under authority—rowers in the galley of the King—while stewards (οἰκονόμους) are those who have been placed over the household, not as masters, but as faithful guardians of what belongs to Another.
St. John Chrysostom reflects:
“He does not say the teachers of the mysteries, but the stewards, that is, those who are entrusted with their dispensation—not the lords of them, nor the owners.” (Homily XI on 1 Corinthians)
This is a powerful corrective in every age. In an era tempted to individualism, where even religious office can be twisted into a platform for ego, Paul reminds us that the servant of God must reckon himself nothing more than a custodian. What is required of such a one? Not brilliance, not charisma, not even apparent success—but faithfulness.
St. Augustine, ever the spiritual physician, warns that even self-judgment can be deceptive:
“Not even I judge myself… For sometimes, even when a man is displeased with himself, he may still be guilty before God.” (Enarrationes in Psalmos, Ps. 31)
This is a humbling reminder in Advent: that the final judgment of every soul lies in the hands of Christ, who “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” (v. 5)
Thus, the soul is summoned to quiet vigilance. Advent is not a season for noisy self-appraisal or ostentatious displays of piety, but for hidden fidelity—the kind that Mary herself embodied.
“Ave, gratia plena: Dominus tecum.” (Luke 1:28)
The Gospel for this day gives us but one verse: the Angel Gabriel’s greeting to the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation. It is brief, but inexhaustible.
St. Jerome, in translating this verse, gave us gratia plena—“full of grace”—a phrase that inspired centuries of contemplation. The Church Fathers never tired of exalting Mary’s singular privilege.
St. Ambrose wrote:
“She was chosen as the mother of God, because she was the only one who was entirely pleasing to Him.” (De Virginibus, II, 2)
Where Paul speaks of stewards of the mysteries, Mary is revealed as the chosen vessel of the Mystery itself. She is the first to receive the Word into herself—not metaphorically, but literally. And yet her response is the same as the faithful steward: total surrender, not to her own will, but to God’s.
The Venerable Bede, meditating on this greeting, noted:
“Gabriel is rightly called the strength of God, who comes to announce the coming of the Lord of hosts… ‘The Lord is with thee’: more than with any other creature.”
Gabriel’s salutation marks the moment when Heaven meets earth in a virgin’s “yes.” As the Fourth Week of Advent unfolds, the Church places this moment before us—not to admire from afar, but to imitate in our own measure. Mary’s fiat is the model for every soul that would make a dwelling for Christ.
Spiritual Application for the Day
On this Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, the Church reminds us:
- To be faithful stewards of the gifts and duties entrusted to us. Not all are called to visible office, but all are called to be trustworthy, humble, and hidden in God.
- To resist judging others—or even ourselves—with premature or worldly measures. “He that judgeth me is the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:4). Let our confidence be in His justice and mercy.
- To prepare for Christmas not merely by external actions, but by cultivating a Marian interiority: silence, availability, and the courage to say fiat in the hidden places of our lives.
In the end, the steward and the handmaid are united in this: they live not for themselves, but for the Lord. May we live these final days of Advent in their spirit, so that Christ may be born anew in us.
Prayer Suggestion:
Veni, Domine Iesu, noli tardare.
Come, Lord Jesus, and do not delay.
Make of my soul a worthy dwelling for Thee,
that I may serve Thee with fidelity and greet Thee with joy.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
grant me the grace to say always: Ecce ancilla Domini.