SUNDAY REFLECTIONS

4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT – Dec. 22, 2019

Readings: Is 7:10–14 • Ps 24:1–6 • Rom 1:1–7 • Mt 1:18–24

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.

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).
- FR. LOUIS PHILIP MASI

WHAT’S IN A NAME?
What can it tell about the person who owns it? Not much, unless it happens
to be a well-chosen nick-name. Names like Helen, Sharon or Jason are useful
for distinguishing various members of a family; but they don’t say much
about the people themselves. A name seldom tells about the personality or
life-work of the one who carries it. With some Biblical names it is different.
For instance, Abraham meant “Father of a great people” (Gen. 17:5) and
Moses meant “Rescued from the Waters” (Ex. 2:10.) Above all, our blessed
Lord has names which tell us everything about him: “Jesus” means “God
saves,” “Christ” means “God’s Anointed Messiah” and the name “Emmanuel”
in today’s Gospel, means “God in our midst.”

How important is Jesus, really, for our religious belief? Be honest. Ask the
man-in-the-street what Christianity all about, and what’s the usual answer?
Something to do with loving your neighbour; keeping the law; going to
church on a Sunday? Not often will there be a direct mention of Jesus Christ,
who is at the very centre of our faith. Ghandi once said, If you Christians took
your Christ to heart, the whole world would be Christian.

Our Bridge-builder (Pontifex) Nowadays, one of the most positive trends is

in building up community, sharing efforts and projects with others, seeking
out ways find common ground with long-term enemies. In a word, bridge-
building and reconciliation with our fellow human beings. The greatest
bridge-builder of all, who spans the gulf between us and God, is Jesus Christ.
(High-Priest: Pontifex.) “No man has ever seen God; the Only-Begotten Son,
who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known” (Jn. 1:18.)
He shares our lot, our life-experience and our troubles. At Christmas we will
concentrate on the simplicity and poverty of Our Lord’s birth: how human
he was, born of a young woman, not in luxurious comfort, but in the
discomfort of a stable. That shows him as one of us, the human side of
“Emmanuel.” This gospel however mentions the divine origin of Jesus.
Although he has a human mother, he has not a human father, but was
conceived in Mary by the power of God. This unique way of coming into life,
with God as father, and the virgin Mary as mother, underlines who Jesus truly
is: both God and man, one of ourselves and yet one with the eternal God.

Joseph’s Faith. If this mystery seems deep to us, it must have been baffling
for St Joseph. Close to Mary as he was, and yet seeing her pregnant without
any action on his part, Joseph could only accept in faith what God’s
messenger told him, that the child was in Mary by the power of the Holy
Spirit. With great patience and humility, Joseph accepted the part for which
God had chosen him, as human foster-father to the Saviour. This faithful
acceptance is just what is required of each of us, when Christ comes into our
lives, as “God-with-us.

OUR GOD-WITH-US
One of the best human instincts is to build up community, to share efforts
and projects with others, seeking to find common ground with those who
disagree with us. In a word, bridge-building with our fellow human beings.
The greatest bridge-builder of all, who spans the gulf between us and God, is
Jesus Christ. “No man has ever seen God; the Only-Begotten Son, who is
closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known” (Jn. 1:18.)

He shares our life experience. At Christmas we will concentrate on the

simplicity and poverty of Our Lord’s birth: how human he was, born of a
young woman, not in luxurious comfort, but in the discomfort of a stable.
That shows him as one of us, the human side of “Emmanuel.” This gospel
however mentions the divine origin of Jesus. Although he has a human
mother, he has not a human father, but was conceived in Mary by the power
of God. This unique way of coming into life, with God as father, and the virgin
Mary as mother, underlines who Jesus truly is: both God and man, one of
ourselves and yet one with the eternal God.
If this seems mysterious to us, it must have been baffling for St Joseph. Close
to Mary as he was, and finding her pregnant without any involvement by
him, Joseph could only accept in faith what God’s messenger told him, that
the child was in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. With great
patience and humility, Joseph accepted the part for which God had chosen
him, as guardian and foster-father to our Lord and Saviour. This kind of
faithful acceptance is asked from each of us, when Christ comes into our
lives, as “God-with-us.

Moments of crisis reveal aspects of ourselves we don’t often see or

appreciate. They can show where our real self lies. Do we react defensively
or aggressively out of self-concern, or are we able to see beyond ourselves
to the care of others? Usually crisis also puts our faith to the test; are we
really convinced about God’s care and support for us?

A THOUGHT ABOUT KING AHAZ

What did Ahaz believe in? He could not, or would not, rely on God to help
him through the greates political upheaval of his life. In the crisis facing his
kingdom, he put his trust in his military security. Is our faith much the same?
Do we trust only the range of our own power and resources, and turn to the
true God only as an extra insurance, a vague source of possible help in
moments of crisis? But such faith is weak and inadequate. A fuller kind of
faith would see us relying on God’s invisible, helping presence, not just in
those moments when human support fails us. Real faith accepts the reality
of God in every moment of life. It sees God as a dimension of all our
experience, literally, the Emmanu-El, God-with-us.

The promise that God is with us was not for Isaiah’s time only, it is for our
own. Even now the sign of that continuing presence is a young woman and
her child, the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus. For Joseph the unexpected
pregnancy of Mary was not a sign to confirm his trust either in her or God, it
was a contradictory sign. In the hours of his darkness he found the
enlightening Spirit of God, the Spirit who teaches us not to judge by what our
eyes see or by what our ears hear (cf. Is 11:3.) This gospel shows us that the
signs God gives are not always the ones we would choose for ourselves. He
gives signs for those who are willing to take on the darkness of doubt in
openness and sincerity.
In our encounters with people who reflect Christ and his gospel we can find
signs of God to confirm our faith. “No one has ever seen God. It is God the
only Son, ever at the Father’s side, who has revealed him” (Jn 1:1-18.)
https://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent we arrive at Matthew’s account of the

birth of Jesus.
Preparing the way for the Gospel describing this event, Matt 1:18-24, is the
First Reading, Isaiah 7:10-14 featuring an oracle of the prophet to King Ahaz
at a time when Assyrian posed a great threat to the Kingdom of Judah.

When this far from admirable ruler refuses to ask God for a sign that would
indicate divine protection, Isaiah responds by describing the sign that God
will, nonetheless, give: the pregnancy of a young girl – presumably a princess
of the royal house.

'GOD IS WITH US'

In the Hebrew text of Isaiah the word used for “young girl” (almah) does not
necessarily connote the idea of virginity – simply a young woman of
marriageable age. Also part of the sign is the name she is planning to give her
child: Emmanuel – “God is with us”. Taken together, the conception of the
child and the name he is to bear constitute a sign that, despite the present
troubles, God remains “with” the People.

The annunciation of Jesus’ birth in Matthew (1:18-24) follows straight on

from the Genealogy (1:1-17) with which the Gospel begins. Four times
within the otherwise relentlessly male list of Jesus’ ancestors there are
references to women: Tamar, whom Judah violated; Rahab, who had been a
prostitute; Ruth, the Moabitess; and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba), whom
King David adulterously took to himself.

In each case a note of sexual impropriety or irregularity attends the

reference – not so much because of what the women themselves have done
but because of what has been done to them. The genealogy shows how the
divine thread of salvation has run through much unsavory human history.
PREPARE THE GROUND
The four references to women in the account of Jesus’ ancestry prepare the
ground for the situation of Jesus’ mother Mary. We, the readers, are told that
her pregnancy has come about “through the Holy Spirit” (v 18). But no one
else knows that, including, at this point, Joseph.

Since betrothal was considered equivalent to marriage, Mary’s situation is

precarious in the extreme; she stands liable to the severe penalties laid down
in the Mosaic Law for adultery (stoning: cf. John 8:1-11). Obedience to the
Law requires Joseph to divorce Mary but, being, as the text says, a “righteous
person” (JB’s “man of honour” is quite misleading), he wants to do so in a
way that will spare her as much public shame as possible.

In this he “models” keeping the Law in the way that Jesus will commend,
giving priority to values such as forgiveness, mercy and compassion (the
“weightier matters of the Law” [23:23]).

The angelic messenger turns everything around for Joseph. Mary’s

pregnancy has not come about through infidelity but through the agency of
God’s Holy Spirit. The child she is to bear is to carry the name and role of
Josue – the great “saviour” figure of Israel. Only, here the saving role will not
be a matter of military conquest but that of rescuing the people from sin,
freeing them, that is, from all that stands in the way of a vital and life-giving
relationship to God.

DIVINE PURPOSE
Characteristically, Matthew reinforces the sense of divine purpose by
quoting the text from Isaiah that, in retrospect at least, seemed to indicate
that this is how things would run in the messianic age. His quotation of Isa
7:14 follows the Greek (Septuagint) translation which in its choice of words
– parthenos – does convey the sense that the young girl is a virgin.

Matthew finds, then, in this text, a clear prophecy that the birth of the Saviour
will come about through a virginal conception, worked by the Holy Spirit.
But, of course, no less important for Matthew is the second part of the biblical
verse stating that the child will be called “Emmanuel – God with Us”.
“Emmanuel” indicates not so much a fresh name but the role the child is to
have for Israel and the world. In the person of this child, God will be “with”
the people in a unique way, far outstripping all conventional hopes for the
messianic age. People will experience this divine saving presence in their
encounters with Jesus throughout his earthly life. After his resurrection, he
will continue to be “with” his Church in its communal life (18:19-20) and
world-wide mission to the end of time (28:19-20).

GOD'S SAVING POWER

The wonderful thing about Matthew’s presentation of Jesus’ birth is the way
in which, through the genealogy and the public situation of Mary – and later
through Herod’s violence – it highlights the invasion of God’s grace saving
power into human society as we so often know it.
- Fr. Brendan Byrne SJ

BACKGROUND ON THE GOSPEL READING

Finally, on this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, our Gospel Reading permits us
to begin our contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation we celebrate at
Christmas: “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about” (Matthew
1:18).

The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of the birth of Jesus from Joseph's
perspective. Today's Gospel passage is the second movement in this story. In
the preceding verses of the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, the Evangelist
has listed the genealogy of Jesus, tracing his lineage through King David to
Abraham. In the chapter to follow, Matthew tells of the visit from the Magi,
the Holy Family's flight into Egypt, and Herod's massacre of the infants in
Bethlehem. (The other stories which we associate with Christmas, the
Annunciation, the Visitation, the angel and the shepherds, are found in the
Gospel of Luke).

We must not gloss over too quickly the difficult circumstances described in
today's Gospel. The way that Joseph and Mary face these circumstances tells
us much about these holy people and their faith in God. Joseph and Mary are
betrothed to be married. This is sometimes described as an engagement
period, but it is more than that. Betrothal in first century Jewish culture was
in fact the first part of the marriage contract. A breach of this contract was
considered adultery. Mary is found to be with child. If adultery is proven, the
punishment might be death. Joseph has rights under Mosaic law, but chooses
to act discreetly in his plans to break the marriage contract, so as to protect
Mary. Then God intervenes.

The message of the angel of the Lord given to Joseph in his dream tells us
much about the child that Mary bears and his role in God's plan. He is
conceived by the Holy Spirit. His name will be Jesus, which in the Hebrew
means “Yahweh saves.” He will be the fulfillment of the prophecy heard in
today's first reading from Isaiah: “. . . The virgin shall be with child . . . and
shall name him Emmanuel [God with us].”

Joseph does as the angel of the Lord directs. He takes Mary to be his wife and
accepts the child in her womb as his own. Joseph and Mary are both
cooperative with God's plan. They are both models for us of what it means
to be faithful servants of God.
https://www.loyolapress.com/

ANECDOTES
# 1: Emmanuel - God with us: Over 100 years ago Father Damien
deVeuster, (St. Damien of Molokai) a Belgian priest, began working with
lepers on Molokai, a small Hawaiian island. Father Damien found a source of
fresh water in the mountains and developed a system to bring it down to the
colony. He built the first sanitation system and clinic. He and the lepers
constructed a chapel for worship. Each Sunday Father Damien would begin
his sermon with these words: “You lepers know that God loves you.” This
went on for years. Finally, one Sunday Father Damien began his sermon this
way: “We lepers know that God loves us.” Father Damien had contracted
leprosy. Yet he went on loving and serving until his death in 1898. Even as
Father Damien cast his lot in with the lepers, Jesus, Emmanuel, invested
Himself totally in us sinners. “He was bruised and wounded for our sins. He
was lashed, and we were healed.” “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and his name shall be called Emmanuel’” (Mt 1: 22-23). (Dr. William R.
Bouknight).
#2: Image result for crippled puppy “You don’t know what love can do!”
There is a story about a small boy who went to a pet shop. “Mister,” he said
to the owner, “I want to buy that puppy.” The owner’s eyes followed the boy’s
finger to a little crippled puppy all by himself. “Son,” replied, “that pup is
worthless. We’re going to have him put to sleep in the next few days.” But
the boy protested, “I’ve saved my money just to buy that one puppy. I have
been looking at him in the window every day. He’s the only one I want.” Once
again, the owner explained the problem—the dog was crippled—the dog
was worthless—the dog would be put to sleep. The small boy then reached
down with two little hands and pulled up his trousers. The man observed
two little legs enclosed in braces. “Mister,” he said, “You don’t know what
love can do!” Jesus, Emmanuel has worn our braces and died for our sins.
Now with grateful hearts let us enthrone him as Savior and Lord.

# 3: “A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” Carl Sandburg
(1878-1967), the noted American historian, novelist, and poet, once said, “A
baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” When Isaiah offered Ahaz
the sign which he had refused to request, the prophet’s message bore some
similarity to the words of Sandburg. A baby would be born, he prophesied,
and that child’s existence would underscore, yet again, God’s fidelity to his
promises. Judah could be sure that its world would indeed go on.

# 4: You’ll know tonight.” It was a few days before Christmas. A woman

woke up one morning and told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave
me a pearl necklace for Christmas. What do you think this dream means?”
“Oh,” her husband replied, “you’ll know the day after tomorrow.” The next
morning, she turned to her husband again and said she had the same dream
and received the same reply. On the third morning, the woman woke up and
smiled at her husband, “I just dreamed again that you gave me a pearl
necklace for Christmas. What do you think this dream means?” And he
smiled back, “You’ll know tonight.” That evening, the man came home with a
small package and presented it to his wife. She was delighted. She opened it
gently. And when she did, she found—a book! And the book’s title was The
Meaning of Dreams. Today’s Gospel tells us how Joseph had a dream and how
he reacted to it.
https://www.cbci.in/
Joseph is someone about whom we know little. There are few references to
him in the gospels apart from the stories about the birth, infancy and
childhood of Jesus (see Mt 13:55 and the parallels in Mark and Luke). He is
very much a secondary or background figure in the gospel story. Yet, he is a
real Advent person because, in a truly humble and remarkable manner, he
prepares for the arrival of the Messiah into his life and into the world.

Matthew presents Joseph as having had no part in Mary’s pregnancy. When

Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant he wondered how this could be
since they had not been living together as husband and wife. Initially he was
confused and he did not know what to do. However, he did not act rashly. He
listened to God’s word through the angel’s message in a dream and, although
it demanded much faith, he did what God asked him. He allowed his life to be
influenced and directed by God’s will. Therefore, without complaining,
Joseph decided to prepare for the birth of Jesus by caring about Mary during
her pregnancy.

Thus two aspects of Joseph’s character are revealed to us. Firstly, Joseph was
obviously a man of deep faith. He trusted God and, discerning God’s will, took
the great leap of faith into the unknown in a difficult and confusing situation.
God moved him in strange ways and he was responsive to this. Secondly,
Joseph was selfless. He did not alienate Mary but, instead, accepted her and
remained loyal. His selflessness enabled him to act without fear of ridicule
and scorn. Doing God’s will was all-important for Joseph.

We can learn from these two aspects of Joseph’s character. For example, how
do we respond to God who often communicates with us in strange ways? Are
we able to make the leap of faith when we are unsure about the future? Can
we acknowledge and embrace those people and life situations which least
suit us? Advent is about cultivating our ability to focus beyond our own
concerns and respond to the needs of other people so that Christ can come
into our lives through them.

Joseph, in the portrait painted of him in Matthew’s Gospel, prepared for the
birth of Jesus with gentleness and faithfulness. He cherished and supported
Mary and, together, they brought Christ into the world. Joseph’s discernment
of God’s will empowered his confidence. We are challenged to imitate
Joseph’s example as we live and work with other people.

Jesus and JosphJoseph was a man of few words but decisive and significant
actions. His behaviour made a difference. Unfortunately, some of us speak
many words but these words are rendered meaningless by our contradictory
behaviour. This can easily occur during the days of Christmas when we
gather as families and friends. Therefore, let us learn from the example of
Joseph. Let us discern and accept joyfully God’s will in our lives. And let us
pray to Joseph, asking him to help us to do God’s will always.
https://www.catholicireland.net/

I once attended the 40th wedding anniversary of a couple I know quite well.
Their 6 children and also their grandchildren were present. After a very
enjoyable meal the husband spoke of their long years of marriage, of both
the joys and the struggles. He spoke too of the time before they were
married. He said ‘we were so much in love that we would spend our time
together until the early hours of the morning, walking around the streets,
looking in shop windows. We didn’t want to part. We wanted to be together’.
That was long before people cohabited or lived together before marriage.

When we really love someone do we not seek to be near the beloved, to be

always with them? Is it not the same with God and us? Our God loves us so
much that he wishes to be with us always, not only in this life but also in the
life to come. That is why in the gospel today we are told that the child to be
born to Mary would fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘the virgin will conceive
and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means
God-is-with-us’. This is indeed Good News. We have a God who does not wish
to be far away from us but desires ‘to be with us’, to be near the beloved.
Sadly it is we ourselves who often keep God at a distance, maybe because of
fear of committing our lives to him etc.
When my friends married many years ago, they promised to be faithful to
each other, for better, for worse: for richer, for poorer: in sickness and in
health etc. When God created us that was the promise he made also in his
covenant and renewed daily in the Eucharist. He is a God who will never
abandon us. We may become rich materially and forget God but he waits
hoping we will turn back to him. Sometimes when we have perfect health
we may forget God and live in a way which hurts others and ourselves. God
is still faithful and often if we suffer bad health, it is then we turn back to God
and this faithful God of ours is there to welcome us in spite of our forgetting
about him when our health was perfect etc.

Today too in the gospel we hear about Joseph who was probably shocked
and very saddened to find that Mary was pregnant, but not by him. It was
obviously a time of crisis for him – what would he do? Being obviously a kind
man he decided not to condemn Mary publicly but to divorce her quietly. In
this time of darkness he decided on a human solution. Maybe he even
doubted God. How could God have allowed this? Then he experienced the
helping nearness of God. It was revealed to him in a dream not to be afraid
to take Mary to his home since she had conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit.

Here then in the gospel we have a God who wants to be near us, to be with
us, to dwell among us. But he doesn’t force his way into our lives. He comes
knocking on the door of our hearts, asking permission to enter our world
through us. God decided to need Joseph to be the legal father of Jesus just as
he needed Mary to give birth to Jesus. Never in their wildest dreams would
they have considered themselves important enough to play such a key role
in Jesus coming amongst us. Yet they were people of faith.

At Christmas time we give gifts as a sign of our love. The gift we received
from God was Jesus. Could we not also give God a Christmas gift? Above all
the gift of allowing him to come into our world through us as did Mary and
Joseph. So amazingly God still decides not to come into our world in any
other way except through us humans. Will we allow him to dwell with us by
agreeing like Mary and Joseph to respond to his invitation? The goodness of
God can only be present in our world when we are good to each other. His
forgiveness and kindness is present when we are forgiving and kind to each
other. Likewise with his compassion, patience, gentleness. On the other
hand we can be unforgiving, selfish, angry people blocking off what God
wishes for our world. God as man appeared in Jesus. Aware of it or not
people experienced God then in the human person of Jesus. God’s smile was
seen when Jesus smiled. God looked on us kindly in the kind glance of Jesus.
God touched us in the human touch of Jesus. He welcomed and forgave in the
welcome and forgiveness of Jesus. It is no different today. This is the way that
God still comes to us, just as Mary and Joseph cooperated with God’s plan by
allowing him to come among us. They could, of course, have refused.

Many of us have seen the TV footage of the collapse of the twin towers of the
World Trade Centre in New York on 11 September 2001. Who could have
believed that these towering buildings made of solid concrete and steel
would have collapsed but they did. They were manmade and undoubtedly
meant to last for years and years.

In the gospel today we have two other towers. Mary and Joseph are towers
of faith. They did not collapse when crises, attacks on their faith, darkness,
doubts, suffering entered their lives. They were constructed not of solid
concrete and steel but on the solid gift of faith and trust in God.

“Lord Jesus may we also be like Mary and Joseph – people of faith and trust
who will allow You to come into our world through us, to allow you to be
near us always so much do you love us. Amen”
- Fr. Jim Kirstein SMA