December 23, 2003, Saturday of the third week of Advent.

A reading from the book of the prophet Malachi.

Thus says the Lord God,

Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me,

and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the

messenger of the covenant whom you desire.

Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts, but who will endure the day of his coming,

and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lie.

He will sit refining in purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi,

refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord.

Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord,

as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the day of the Lord comes,

the great and terrible day, to turn the hearts of the

fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike

the land with doom.

The word of the Lord.

The responsorial psalm.

The response is,

Lift up your heads and see.

Your redemption is near at hand.

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