4th Sunday of Advent (Fr. Francis)

A few days before the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, we cry out with the Prophet Isaiah, “Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring for a Savior” (cf. Is 45:8). Similarly, with the Psalmist we sing, “let the Lord enter; he is king of glory” (Ps 24:7c, 10b) The righteous man, Joseph, a faithful son of the house of David, eagerly awaited the coming of the Savior and prayed for His coming, likely reciting the same words of Isaiah and the Psalmist as we do today. Joseph knew from his upbringing that the Savior would come from the line of David, from whom he himself descended, but he probably never expected to be the one chosen by God from the line of David to serve as the Savior’s earthly father. Joseph was also betrothed to Mary because he trusted in her goodness, purity, and integrity; Yet, as faithful as he was, he could never have imagined that God would choose his wife as the virgin who would conceive and bear a son whose name would be Emmanuel — God with us. Nor could he have ever thought that God would entrust him with the task of guarding, protecting, and providing for the Savior and the Mother of God. The humble carpenter, nevertheless, was a key part of God’s plan.

So, the Angel of the Lord visits Joseph in a dream which we hear about in today’s Gospel. The angel calls him by name and dispels any fears he may have. Just as Gabriel told Mary, “do not be afraid” (Lk 1:30), the angel of the Lord tells Joseph, “do not be afraid” (Mt 1:20). Mary is entrusted with receiving the Word of God in her womb and Joseph is encouraged to receive Mary (and the Redeemer in her womb) into his own home. As Gabriel reveals to Mary that it is the Holy Spirit Who will come upon her and the power of the Most High that will overshadow her, the angel of the Lord assures Joseph that “it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her” (Mt 1:20).

While the angels reveal both to Mary and Joseph that they are to name the child Jesus, it is to Joseph alone that it is revealed that Jesus “will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Joseph, a devout Jew, knows and believes that it is only God who can forgive sins. Thus, with these words, Joseph is faced with a great decision. The decision before him is not only whether or not to take Mary, his wife, into his home. He also has to decide whether or not to believe that the child his wife is carrying is God Himself, God in the flesh, the God of his fathers, Who Alone can save people from their sins. Unlike Mary’s response, “may be it done unto me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38), the Gospel does not record any words of Joseph. The Evangelist Matthew, however, tells us what Joseph did in response to the message that he had received: “When Joseph awoke he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home” (Mt 1:24). Joseph did not question the angel of the Lord, nor did he take time to consider how to act. Without being given any further details about what he would need to do in the future, Joseph simply arose and did as he was asked by the angel of the Lord. It is clear that he understood the divine commission he had been given. His quick and decisive action reveals that he did in fact believe what he had heard about Mary and the child in her womb. Joseph’s response was a concrete act of faith. It was his life of fidelity to the will of God that had prepared him for this crucial moment. Joseph was ready to take Mary and the Savior, not only into his earthly dwelling place, but into the confines of his pure and undivided heart.

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, the humble carpenter, Joseph, is given to us as an example. Joseph could not have imagined how he would one day fit into God’s eternal plan of salvation, but he was ready to respond when called by the Lord. We may also often wonder how the Lord is working through each and every one of us in order to fulfill His Will. Like Joseph, we must be open to the Lord’s will and ready to respond in faith and with generosity when the Lord calls us into His service.

In the gospel we see a righteous and obedient man – Joseph. He was so obedient that he allowed the plan of God to work in him. In our present situation we lack people of righteousness. We see hypocrisy as part and parcel of our life. People live their life wearing masks. Politicians, leaders in the society, care-takers and even people in the family live without knowing each other. Media, newspapers etc. give us fake news and live for the glory and benefit of the one who has power and influence in the society.

Money plays a precious role in the life of people. The question that arises in anyone’s mind before doing something is “what am I going to get doing this particular act?” but Joseph never thought of a benefit for him. He thought of the good of the other. He worried whether his act would cause pain for the other.

The Gospel reading today shows an answer given to him by God in a dream. Yes, God will intervene in the life of one who fears God; sooner or later. He will surely give us an answer. It is an invitation for all of us to help our neighbor wholeheartedly and generously without hesitation. It is God who is merciful. He is not only the God of righteous but even of those against him in thought, words and actions. Let us make up our mind this advent season to welcome our ‘Emmanuel’. From our actions, thoughts and words let others know that God is really with us.

As the angels communicated God’s message, “do not be afraid” (Lk 1:30, Mt 1:20), both to Mary and Joseph, that same message is communicated to us today. Do not be afraid to do the will of God and to welcome the Lord Jesus into your heart and home. In these days before Christmas, take the opportunity to consider how your heart still needs to be prepared for the Lord’s coming. Maybe there is sin weighing on your heart and a good confession would bring about much needed healing and the opportunity to receive the Eucharist this Christmas in a state of grace. Maybe you have been holding a grudge against someone and letting go would bring about long-sought peace and tranquility. Maybe the Lord has been knocking at the door of your heart asking you to draw closer to Him in prayer, but you have been hesitant about responding to Him out of fear. “Do not be afraid” (Lk 1:30, Mt 1:20). “Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory” (Ps 24:7c, 10b).

1) Like Joseph, we need to trust in God, listen to Him and be faithful.  Although we may face financial problems, job insecurity, tensions in the family and health concerns, let us try to be like St. Joseph, trusting and faithful. Instead of relying on our own schemes to get us through life, let us trust in God and be strengthened by talking to Him in fervent prayer and by listening to Him speaking through the Bible.

 2) We need to experience Emmanuel in our lives and change the world: The Good News and the consoling message of Christmas is that the Child Jesus still waits today to step into our hearts—your heart and mine—and to change us and the world around us by the beauty of God’s love, kindness, mercy and compassion.  Let us take some time to welcome the Christ Child into our hearts and lives this week, so that God may change our world of miseries with the beauty of that love. 

3) Do we have any gift for our “Birthday Boy?” Let us check to see if Jesus is on our list this Christmas and if we have a special gift in mind for him.     A heart filled with love for God and our fellow-human beings is the birthday gift which Jesus really wants from us. Hence, let us prepare our heart for Jesus, filling it with love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness on this Christmas and every day of our lives. 

4) Let us be a Christmas gift to others: The greatest gift we can give to those we love, is to have faith in them, believe in their dreams and try to help them realize them. We need to believe in the dreams of our husband, wife, children, parents, heroes, leaders and friends, then try our best to help them realize those dreams. 

A Jesuit, a Dominican and a Franciscan were walking along an old road, debating the greatness of their orders. Suddenly, a vision of the Holy Family appeared in front of them, with Jesus in a manger and Mary and Joseph praying over him. The Franciscan fell on his face, overcome with awe at the sight of God born in such poverty. The Dominican fell to his knees, adoring the beautiful reflection of the Trinity and the Holy Family. The Jesuit walked up to Joseph, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, “So, where ya thinking of sending the kid for school? 

Fr. A. Francis HGN