Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 10

Reading 1 Is 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask!  I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6.

R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.

Reading 2 Rom 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia Mt 1:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 1:18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

 

 

 

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

“The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

 

The Word becoming flesh and entering the world was an event that didn’t have to happen but it was something that God wanted to happen. It is part of our very nature, stained by Original Sin, to turn away from God and pursue our own goals instead of what God wants. We can be selfish, prideful, and rebellious in relation to God and there are times when He is completely forgotten because of our focus on the physical world instead of what is spiritual. Jesus Christ coming into this world fully human and fully divine brought everything that came before since the creation of the universe to a climatic epoch where Jesus Christ is fully revealed along with God’s plan for our salvation. This event also defines our relationship with God because it shows how much God loves us that He would give His only son in sacrifice for our salvation. It removes all doubt regarding how much God loves us and what He wants from us in return: to be joyful and to love Him. Through this shared love the perfection of God can be realized and celebrated.

 

A relationship with God can put us at odds with the expectations and encouragements of a society which has slowly drifted away from God. We may find ourselves doing things differently than other people and for different reasons which may draw the ire of those same individuals. Being a Christian is not easy. It is not supposed to be. There is a great value living a Christian life because it is the way that God intended us to live. It is a part of us that, even though it may have been ignored for large amounts of time, provides the key to a truly joyous and satisfying life because God created us to be that way. To do the will of God means we are reacting to the love He has for us and are spreading that love through His creation. Everything touched by it also reacts to it and is made better as a result. Wherever there is pain, crisis, or confusion there is a lack of God’s love. Bringing His love to all things we interact with repairs these defections and makes them perfect. The presence of God’s love is enough to right all wrongs and make things better. The purpose of all things in God’s creation is to love Him and glorify Him. When we start doing the same then we become the perfect piece to complete the masterpiece of His creation.

 

Joseph serves as an example to us of doing things differently according to what God wants. Discovering that Mary was with child, Joseph planned to divorce her quietly. God revealed to Joseph His Divine Plan whereupon Joseph took Mary as His wife and brought her into his home; raising Jesus as his own child. Joseph chose God’s way above that of the expectations of society. This caused scandal within Joseph’s community and even led him to make the decision to settle his new family in Bethlehem instead of returning to Nazareth.  These things he confronted as he was challenged by them and his faith remained strong. Joseph led his new family from one situation to another guided by his faith and his love for God. Imagine being a man at the age of 15 with a wife and a child whose origins you were suspicious of. Guided by your faith and a message contained in a dream you find yourself marrying a woman you suspect as being unfaithful, settling in a strange town far away from your family, and then exiled for 12 years in Egypt fleeing from mass murder and people who wanted you dead because of this strange child that is not yours. It is in circumstances such as these that the love of God is realized. It is seen in the imperfect not the perfect.

 

We all are Joseph and Mary when we find ourselves at odds with the social norms of our times. Broken and beautiful we are healed through the presence of God in our lives and because of the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. We cannot do this ourselves. No one can. We need God’s help so that we can receive again what was offered to us previously and we refused. Once we receive it then we can experience all things through the Light of Christ and the Love of God; just as God intended in the first place.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

 

 

Third Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 7

Reading 1

Is 35:1-6a, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10.

R. (cf. Is 35:4)  Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2

Jas 5:7-10

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Alleluia

Is 61:1 (cited in Lk 4:18)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 11:2-11

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
"Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
"What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out?  To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

Joy is all around us. God’s creation cries out in exultation. How is this joy expressed? By just being and acting out according to the natural order of things. It is a wonderful site to behold when a calf is born. The bonding process starts right away with the mother cleaning the newborn and making it stand up on its feet. It then starts to feed. Within days, the little calf is already frolicking about and playing. Pure joy. The chirping of the birds, the laughter of a child, the sounds of nature are all a testament to true joy. God’s creation is before us and everything cries out in exaltation to Him who created it. We are constantly invited into this never-ending celebration. Reacting to it and participating in it is where we can find our joy, because it is there that we can encounter the true presence of God. That presence can also be found within us for we are an intricate part of what He created. In fact, we are at its summit. What precious gifts we have been given and so many more are yet to be received. There is an opportunity to experience true joy now with God and an everlasting joy with the understanding that the promises He made for us in the future will indeed come to fulfilment.

 

The Responsory Psalm today is one of not only Trust in God the Creator and Redeemer, but also one that encourages continuous praise and exaltation. Putting our trust and hope in Him instead of earthly things sets us up for success and opens the floodgates of His love. It sets into motion perfection instead of imperfection. It allows Him to constantly shape us into more perfect creations. He is the artist and we become the canvass, He becomes our lover, protector, and comforter. Every experience that we have then becomes a shared experience with Him. It is there that joy in all things becomes evident.

 

We all face challenges in our lives and there are times we haven’t lived up to, not only our expectations, but the expectations of others. Joy can be found in circumstances such as these also. God wants us as we are and not as what we can be. What we can be can only be achieved through a life that includes Him. He wants to experience everything with us and is waiting for us to invite Him in. The joy that is present here is the type that is realized when we come to know that even in the darkest of times, there is light at the end of a long night. Each day can be a day when we herald the coming of our Lord.

 

During the Easter Vigil, there is a ritual when the priest says a particular prayer while tracing the symbols on the Easter Candle:

 

 “Christ yesterday and today,

the beginning and the end,

Alpha and Omega,

all time belongs to him,

and all ages;

to him be glory and power,

through every age and forever.”

 

This serves as a reminder that Jesus Christ is ever-present throughout His creation and is doing the will of the Father. Understanding this can relieve us of the any anxieties we have about what is happening in our lives now and what the future will bring. There is more at work than what we are witness to in current events. There is so much more going on behind the scenes. We are all a part of something bigger. Whatever we are confronted with, negative or positive, will eventually pass. What remains is Jesus Christ and all of us being children of God. Our job as Christians is to be in a constant state of preparation. This serves as a benefit to us and an opportunity to focus continuously on improving our lives. We should be living in the moment, relishing our special relationship with our God, while also looking forward to that moment when Jesus will return in all His glory. In many ways we can liken ourselves to John the Baptist, proclaiming the good news that more is yet to come and that we should all prepare the way. This starts with us and includes everyone. The joy to be found is limitless now and forever.

 

Deacon Tom