Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18, 2022
/Do not be afraid, God has a plan for each of us
Matthew 1: 18–24
“This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! The virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.”
Music Meditations
- Joseph’s Song—Michael Card
- Night of Silence/Silent Night—Marty Haugen (Daniel Kantor and Franz Gruber, composers)
- Come O Lord and Set Us Free—the Dameans
- People Look East—Marty Haugen
Opening Prayer
God of surprises, keep us open to your plans for us, keep us remembering that you hold us close to your heart. Teach us resilience and patience as we live out the lives you have planned for us.
Companions for the Journey
By Fr. Paul Gallagher, from “First Impressions” 2004:
The understanding of marriage in Mathew’s community is much different than that of most people of western cultures. In the Mediterranean culture of Jesus’ day, marriages were arranged in an effort to strengthen the bonds between families. Both sets of parents hoped that the marriage would enhance the political and economic situation of the family. They understood marriage as a bringing together of families, not individuals. Also, betrothal was not like engagement. It was the first step in the families’ accepting the marriage contract. The contract was completed when the man took the woman into his house. Even though a couple was betrothed they had very little contact with each other. To terminate the relationship required a formal decree of divorce.
This gospel text relates the events of Mary’s pregnancy from Joseph’s view. He is portrayed as a man of great compassion who desires to do the right thing. In the first verse Matthew tells his audience that Mary is pregnant through the work of the Holy Spirit, a fact that Joseph learns through a dream. Because Mary is pregnant, and Joseph is not the father, Joseph and his family are publicly embarrassed. Mary is presumed to have committed adultery and should be stoned to death. Even if Joseph would want to avoid public embarrassment for his and Mary’s family, and proceed with the proposed marriage, he cannot. A child is considered the property of the father. He cannot, in good conscience, receive/take the property of another and make it his own. The law required Joseph to return Mary to her father and expose her to death. By divorcing her quietly, he creates the possibility of the father of the child to come forward, accept the child, and marry Mary. It may help to remember that Joseph would have very little personal relationship with Mary at this point and is likely making his decisions void of the opportunity of significant communication with Mary. His decisions are extraordinary expressions of both compassion for Mary and trust in God.
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today’s session…
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid.
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?
Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:
Reflection Questions
- The following are from Father Paul Gallagher, following his commentary on the readings for 4 Advent A, 2004:
- Can you recall times in your life when you have been seriously disappointed in another person?
Can you remember how you were feeling toward that other person?
How did the situation affect your relationship with that person? - Have you known people who seem to be aware of God “calling” or “giving direction” to their life?
Do you have a sense of how God seemed to be speaking to that person?
How would you describe the quality of their life? - Joseph seems to have been asked to act in a way that was outside of what was expected of him as a faithful follower of his tradition. What kind of person would Joseph have been to be open to the course of action that God was asking of him?
- Do you think that this story reveals a “one-time experience” of how God chose to come into our world or a “pattern” of how God chooses to break into our world?
- Have you ever thought God was calling you to respond to a situation in ways that stretched you beyond what you thought were reasonable?
How did you become conscious of God’s call to you? - Do you think that your response to God’s call in your life is as important to God as Joseph’s?
- What leap of faith that you might take actually causes you some fear? (new job, new school, new relationship, new career, actually staying in any other the above situations)
- Is it wrong to feel afraid?
- What events/situations in our contemporary culture or my personal situation are a cause of legitimate fear?
- Was Jesus ever afraid, do you think?
What does Jesus’ life/death tell us about courage in the face of fear? - Am I afraid of God? Why or why not?
- What does Jesus’ birth tell us about God’s concern for humanity?
- The name Emmanu-el is Hebrew for “God-with-us.” How did Jesus demonstrate this truth of his “name”?
- Harking back to this bible passage, which is told from Joseph’s point of view, what do you think about Joseph’s fears concerning this whole enterprise?
Were they legitimate?
Did Joseph know something we wouldn’t in the same circumstances, and if not, what does that tell you about his quiet courage?
Meditations
A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:
The references to Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, in the Gospels, is to say the least, underwhelming. In the gospel of Matthew, he shows up in chapter one, and is gone in chapter 2, never to appear by name in this gospel again. However, the bulk of today’s story focuses on Joseph, and the story of Jesus’ conception from his point of view. Using our imagination, let us put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes as this dramatic story is playing out:
What is your profession; is it a lucrative one? Do you already have a home? How old are you? How religiously observant are you? Ae you quiet or somewhat dynamic as a person? Are you a local person and did you know Mary and her family before this betrothal? What did you think of her? Is she mature for her age? Beautiful? Quiet or lively? Assertive or meek? What made you decide to marry her—or was it a family decision? Where and how will you live as a family? Do you want children? How did you find out that Mary was already pregnant and you knew the baby was definitely not yours? Did she tell you? Did her father? Her mother? Town gossip? Were you angry? Sad? Confused? All of the above? Did you decide not to stay betrothed to her? Why? What did you think would be the best solution for all concerned? Why, in fact, were you concerned about her in the first place? What would her fate be if you repudiated her and her baby? Then imagine the dream…..How real did you think the angel was, or was it merely an overactive and anxious brain? Construct the dialogue between yourself and this “dream messenger”. In any event, what convinced you that God’s will was for you to take Mary into your home and treat her as your wife permanently? Did you think there will be repercussions (This is a very traditional and strict society, and people can count, can’t they?) Now imagine the very awkward conversation with Mary as you let her know what you decided to do (Obviously, Mary did not get a vote in the final decision). Were you afraid of the consequences of this decision? How does your trust in God’s plan keep you strong, or does it?
What we learn is that “God is with us,” is no guarantee of easy sailing, even for the saints. Their faith/trust wavered at times, just like ours does. Think of a situation in which you have been called upon to risk your reputation, your security or your happiness because God might be calling you to take a leap of faith. Pray for courage in the face of fear, wisdom in the face of anxiety, and trust in the face of uncertainty.
Poetic Reflection:
A final Advent Poem:
“Advent” (On A Theme by Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Look how long the weary world waited, locked in its lonely cell, guilty as a prisoner. As you can imagine, it sang and whistled in the dark. It hoped. It paced and puttered about, tidying its little piles of inconsequence. It wept from the weight of ennui, draped like shackles on its wrists. It raged and wailed against the walls of its own plight. But there was nothing the world could do to find its own freedom. The door was shut tight. It could only be opened from the outside. Who could believe the latch would be turned by a pink flower —the tiny hand of a newborn baby?
—Pamela Cranston
Poetic Reflection:
Just enjoy this lovely poem:
“On the Mystery of the Incarnation”
It's when we face for a moment the worst our kind can do, and shudder to know the taint in our own selves, that awe cracks the mind's shell and enters the heart: not to a flower, not to a dolphin, to no innocent form but to this creature vainly sure it and no other is god-like, God (out of compassion for our ugly failure to evolve) entrusts, as guest, as brother, the Word.
—Denise Levertov
Poetic Reflections:
Because this is the last set of reflections until the new year, here are two Christmas poems based on the Gospel of Matthew, which is the only infancy narrative which includes Herod and the Wise Men. The poets are Ranier Marie Rilke and Wiliam Everson (a Dominican lay brother also known as Brother Antoninus):
“Legend”
Once long ago when at the desert’s edge a Lord’s hand spread open – as if a fruit should deep in summer proclaim its seed – there was a miracle: across vast distances a constellation formed out of three kings and a star. Three kings from On-the-Way and the star Everywhere, who all pushed on (just think !)) to the right a Rex and the left a Rex toward a silent stall. What was there that they didn’t bring to the stall of Bethlehem! Each step clanked out ahead of them, as the one who rode the sable horse sat plush and velvet-snug. And the one who walked upon his right was like some man of gold, and the one who sauntered on his left with sling and swing and jang and jing from a round silver thing that hung swaying inside rings, began to smoke deep blue. Then the star Everywhere laughed so strangely over them, and ran ahead and found the stall and said to Mary: I am bringing here an errantry made up of many strangers. Three kings with ancient might heavy with gold and topaz and dark, dim, and heathenish, - but don’t you be afraid. They have all three at home twelve daughters, not one son, so they’ll ask for the use of yours as sunshine for their heaven’s blue and comfort for their throne. Yet don’t straightaway believe: merely some sparkle-prince and heathen-sheik is to be your young son’s lot. Consider: the road is long. They’ve wandered far, like herdsmen, and meanwhile their ripe empire falls into the lap of Lord knows whom. and while here, warmly like westwind, the ox snorts into their ear, they are perhaps already destitute and headless, for all they know. So with your smile cast light on that confusion which they are, and turn your countenance toward dawning with your child: there in blue lines lies what each one left for you: Emeralda and Rubinien and the Valley of Turquoise.
—Rainer Maria Rilke
“The Wise”
Miles across the turbulent kingdoms They came for it, but that was nothing, That was the least. Drunk with vision, Rain stringing in the ragged beards, When a beast lamed, they caught up another And goaded west. For the time was on them. Once, as it may, in the life of a man, Once, as it was, in the life of mankind, All is corrected. And their years of pursuit, Raw-eyed reading the wrong texts, Charting the doubtful calculations, Those nights knotted with thought, When dawn held off, and the rooster Rattled the leaves with his blind assertion--- All that, they regarded, under the Sign, No longer as search but as preparation. For when the mark was made, they saw it. Nor stopped to reckon the fallible years, But rejoiced and followed, And are called "wise", who learned that Truth, When sought and at last seen, Is never found. It is given. And they brought their camels Breakneck into that village, And flung themselves down in the dung and dirt of that place, And kissed that ground, and the tears Ran on their faces, where the rain had.
—William Everson (aka Brother Antoninus, O.P.)
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord, during this Christmas season, especially, be with those who are lonely, sad, ill, or who are dealing with circumstances beyond their control. Give them the comfort inspired by a little baby, born so long ago, who brought the love of God into this world and hope for all who face uncertainty.
