First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
Reflection Questions
1. Describe the scene when Mary told St. Joseph that she was pregnant. How do you think Mary told him? What do you think she was feeling at the time? Describe St. Joseph’s reaction. List all the possible questions and thoughts that could have gone through his mind.
2. Suppose you have a discussion with a person who says that Jesus’ real dad was really a Roman soldier, and not God the Father. How would you respond? Why is it crucial to understand that Jesus’ miraculous conception was a historical event? What difference would it make if Mary’s virginity was just a ‘made-up’ story to make the plot more exciting?
3. How would your life be different today if you gave all your fears over to God? Describe.
Summary of the Gospel
Do you have difficulty accepting pain and suffering in life? If so, welcome to the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our reading draws our immediate attention to Christmas and Christ’s birth. This passage in St. Matthew is one of two accounts of the birth of Jesus, with the other being in St. Luke’s Gospel. The scene in this passage is clear: St. Joseph and Mary are engaged, and St. Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant: Let’s just say that he’s in a bit of crisis right now! St. Joseph’s world has been turned upside down, and he’s thinking to himself, “I just can’t believe she’s pregnant,” and “who’s the daddy?” and “how am I going to tell this to everyone” and “I’m out of this relationship.”
St. Joseph is a little stressed right now. Fortunately for St. Joseph, we are not dealing with an ordinary pregnancy, for St. Matthew tells us that Mary conceived miraculously by the Holy Spirit. What is St. Joseph to do? We are told that he is an upright man, which means that he is a role model for us, and that he wanted to do the right thing with Mary, not attracting any attention to her. He makes up his mind to quietly divorce Mary, and settles in for a good night sleep, when he finds himself in the middle of the most incredible dream of his life. God uses St. Joseph’s sleep as a special time to communicate with him, sending an angel to him in his dream. When he awoke, he knew full well that an angel visited him and knew that he wasn’t hallucinating. He did not delay in acting upon the dream.
The angel first and foremost told St. Joseph not to fear. We see that St. Joseph was a human like us, that he was not immune from the fears that surround us in our daily lives. God did not let those fears go unaddressed, but sent him a distinct message to help him. God rarely speaks to us in such clear ways, yet we can be certain that the message to us is the same: Do not be afraid! Isn’t fear one of the things that keeps us from going deeper in our relationship with Christ? We are too often afraid of what others think, or how we will suffer and be inconvenienced. Fear can be so overwhelming that many will try to dull the pain so they do not have to experience it. Christ calls us to embrace and accept our fears. Our fears are real and, in many cases, cannot be completely removed.
Just as Christ did in the face of fear, we too are called to embrace our crosses, even if we feel uncomfortable. This life is not about feeling comfortable, but is about being tested. Both Jesus and St. Joseph were tested in their lives. They both passed their tests. You and I can pass this test, but only if we submit to Jesus in all things. No matter what we may be going through, Christ will get us through it…but perhaps not until the next life. As St. Joseph did, may we have the courage to respond with the fears in our lives, embracing them as a test of our faith, never running from them to avoid suffering.
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