Wake up for Christmas

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 23, 2007
Emmanuel

Isaiah 7:10-14

Psalm: 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-24

Are you afraid?
Have you been ever worried in your life? Have you experience confusion, doubt and uncertainty? Have you experience being betrayed by the very person whom you’ve loved or trusted all your life suddenly? Have you ever asked God if he really does really exist especially when God seem to be quiet in our prayer.

The Gospel today tells us of a man faced with a grave dilemma. Joseph, is God fearing and righteous man (one who follows Mosaic law), already bound by a solemn betrothal ceremony to take Mary as his wife, suddenly discovers to his dismay that she is with child. Unaware of the mystery of the Incarnation, Joseph, instantly and naturally he would suspect that her fiancé had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another.

Joseph, no doubt took this serious trouble to God in prayer. He can only suppose that she has been unfaithful to him, and is now subject to very severe laws that could result in her death if he exposes her. He takes the compassionate way out. He will divorce her quietly, exposing himself, not her, to shame.

God intervenes through a dream in which an angel tells him the whole story. The angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, for her child has God Himself as the Father! With incredible trust and humility, Joseph obediently agrees to the plan.

Matthew’s Gospel
The Gospel of Matthew tells us of Joseph’s obedience, while the Gospel of Luke tells us of Mary’s obedience when the angel appeared to her. In today’s Gospel, we take Joseph as the central and active recipient of God’s revelation which comes to him through the appearance of an angel in a dream.

The angel begins by saying, "Joseph, son of David," alerting us to Joseph's lineage. It is through Joseph that Jesus will be of the house and lineage of David. Mary's role is to bear a son, and Joseph's role is to name him. By naming him, Joseph makes Jesus his son and brings him into the house of David. An angel appears to Joseph three times. On each occasion, Joseph obeys the angel's commands without question or pause.

His hallmark is obedience -- prompt, simple, and unspectacular obedience. And in this sense Joseph prefigures the Gospel of Matthew's understanding of righteousness: to be righteous is simply to obey the Word of God. Joseph's obedience allows Jesus to be adopted as a true Son of David; it is Mary's role that allows Jesus to be born Son of God." At the end, he takes Mary as his wife, in spite of his fears; and he claims the son as his own by naming him, in spite of his earlier self-righteous decision to quietly divorce this woman. Joseph nurtured and protected and watched over and loved both Mary and her child.

Joseph's message
Like Joseph, we are called not only to trust God, but also to listen and be faithful to him. We are here in this church, three days before Christmas, because like Joseph, we are faithful and we trust in God. We don’t rely on ourselves; we rely on God’s power and God’s mercy.

But for many of us Christmas is a difficult time, especially for those who have suffered losses of the loved ones. Some people are concerned about their health problems, others might have problems about making ends meet financially, and still others have conflicts of relationships. And yet, like Joseph, we promise God today that we’ll trust him, and that we’ll remain faithful..

Joseph, like Mary, is God’s instrument to inspire us to be faithful and to have a strong trust in God especially this time of Christmas.

When we see ourselves faced with trouble, confusion, doubt and uncertainty. Let us not question the presence of God, for God is indeed with us – Emmanuel. When life tests our faith, let us imitate Joseph, let us turn to God in prayerful trust and confidence.

We thank God for giving us Joseph the humblest of the humble, the kindliest of the kindly, and the greatest-ever believers in God's goodness and mercy, like Mary, his example help us welcome Jesus into our hearts and lives during this Christmas.


.
.
source Fr Tony's homily