Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2022
Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
In New York City, on a cold day in December, a little boy,
about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway,
barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the young boy and said,
'my, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!' 'I was asking God to give me a pair of
shoes,’ was the boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand, went into the
store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She
then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly
brought them to her. She took the little
fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down,
washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel. By this time, the clerk had returned with the
socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of
shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs
of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt,
you will be more comfortable now.' As
she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand and looking up into
her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her. 'Are you God'? No, said the woman.
I am only his child. The boy smiled and said. I knew it. You are some relation
of his.
We read today the words of Prophet Isaiah about the birth of
a child. Isaiah the Prophet speaks to
the king in the name of Yahweh saying that he must ask for a sign from the
Lord. King Ahaz is afraid and he refuses
to ask for the sign as he has already sacrificed his son to the pagan god
Moloch. Now when Assyria was ready to
attack Israel he had made a pact with Syria their enemy. He was in a desperate situation to decide as
it would cost the independence of Israel.
Precisely at this juncture, when the king has vital resources in his
mind, God sends Isaiah to awaken the king to another more vital resource,
namely, faith in God. If the king
chooses to walk with God, he would have nothing to fear. To convince the king of God’s power Isaiah
offers to grant him any sign he chooses.
Ahaz now refuses to ask for a sign from God about the protection of
Israel. But God on the other hand will not leave Israel to be destroyed. Hence
the Prophet says that even though he did not ask for a sign due to his lack of
faith, God will give him one. He will
have a son who will be the save Israel from their enemies. He will be the
Emmanuel.
Today’s Reading from the Gospel of Matthew provides us with
the circumstances surrounding the virgin birth of Jesus. When Mary had been
engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with
child from the Holy Spirit. When reference is made to Mary being engaged to
Joseph, it means that the marriage contract had been drawn up between Joseph,
or his parents, and the parents of Mary.
The story of the gospel today, we have heard it countless
times. There is the saying: “familiarity
breeds contempt.” In this case,
familiarity with this Gospel may cause us to only hear the words and not take
time to listen intently to the message of the Gospel.
I suggest you to take a moment and put yourself in Mary’s
place. Imagine what thoughts and
emotions Mary might have experienced given all that the angel had told
her. What would she say to her parents? And what was she to tell Joseph? The tale she had to tell was
unbelievable!
When Mary finally told Joseph that she was pregnant (by the
Holy Spirit), I wonder how Joseph initially reacted? What did he think of Mary? Did he naturally think that she had been
unfaithful to him? What were the
emotions he experienced: shock, anger, disbelief? What was he to do?
Then an angel of God appeared to Joseph in a dream. Did Joseph think he was losing his mind? Being human, Joseph had to have been
overwhelmed and confused by all these strange happenings. Yet despite the fantastic and unbelievable
circumstances, Joseph had faith. He had
faith and trust in God and in Mary.
Joseph truly was a man of God.
Saint Joseph had a very important part in the birth of
Christ. Our salvation depends on Mary’s obedience to the will of God. It also
depends on Joseph’s. Our own obedience is very important too.
It all happened to fulfil what the prophets had foretold.
God knows everything; plans everything. It is all for our good and we can
accept it all in peace.
It was Joseph who was the prophecy’s hope. In contrast to
King Ahaz, Joseph had confidence in the confusing sign of the child
mysteriously conceived in Mary the Virgin. Despite the problems involved, he
accepted the responsibility, because he saw in it the will of God. As a
descendant of David, Joseph will become the legal father of Jesus the Messiah.
And Jesus will be called later in the Gospel, "Son of David". Eleven times altogether in his gospel Matthew
indicates how events in the life of Jesus are fulfilments of Hebrew Testament
promises. Here he quotes the prophet Isaiah and says that the child will be
called Emmanuel, which Matthew explains as meaning "God with us".
Jesus will be the very presence of God the Father in our world. Again, John
says in his Prologue: "The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among
us."
Just like we read in the story we only reflect Christ who
came and dwelt among us.
Happy Sunday
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