St. Edward on the Lake, Lakeport, MI | DOWNLOAD AUDIO
December 18, 2016
Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24
Dear brothers and sisters, today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the last Sunday of Advent, which means that Christmas is right around the corner. For many people, this is a time of heightened stress, but I hope that’s not the case for any of us. Hopefully we’ve been using the time of Advent thus far to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually for the coming of our Lord. If we haven’t, or if we haven’t done as much as we would have liked, the good news is that there’s still one week left – plenty of time still to get ready, but we need to begin now.
Last Sunday, the theme of the liturgy was joy. The Lord Jesus and our Catholic faith command us to be people of joy simply because we know that the reason that Jesus comes is to save us from our sins. We are joyful because we have a Savior – the one promised to us by God. Moreover, even though our lives are filled with crosses, Our Lord walks with us and gives us the strength that we need to carry them. And even though our crosses might be heavy at times, our joy comes from the confidence that Jesus is mightier than any cross. This Sunday’s readings flesh things out a little bit more for our meditation so that we have a direction that our preparation should take as we head into this last week before Christmas.
In the Gospel today, the angel appears to Joseph in a dream. Joseph was betrothed to Mary, which in Jewish law meant that they had the status of husband and wife, but the marriage was not regarded as complete until the husband formally took his wife into his home. It is at this point that he finds out that she is with child. Now Joseph has no doubt that Mary is holy and pure, and yet he cannot quite explain the situation. And because he is a just man, in order to protect her from public shame, he decides that he is going to divorce her and send her away quietly. This is when the angel appears to him and says to him, “Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home”. Do not be afraid. And then the angel refers to Joseph as “Son of David”. In doing so, he reminds Joseph that Mary’s child is part of David’s lineage from which the Messiah is to come. Comforted by the angel’s message, Joseph did as the Lord commanded him and he took Mary as his wife into his home.
Much of this sounds familiar, because an angel also appeared to Mary. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”. God’s plan for Mary was being revealed to her by the angel, and so in order to put her mind at ease, the angel says, “Do not be afraid”. Mary’s fear is not an indication that something is wrong or deficient with her; it’s simply a very natural, very human reaction that one has when one realizes that God has something planned. Much like with Joseph, the angel goes on to say that her child will be great, will come from the line of David, and will save people from their sins. Comforted by the angel’s message, Mary declared herself to be the handmaid of the Lord: “Let it be done to me according to your word”.
What can we gather from the angel’s encounter with Joseph and Mary? First, that even the holiest of holy people had crosses, difficult trials, tough decisions to make. Even after the birth of Jesus, they would have to run to Egypt to escape Herod. So if the holy souls of Joseph and Mary could be subjected to severe trials, we shouldn’t be surprised if we also undergo difficult trials in the course of our lives. But like Joseph and Mary, we should seek to do what is the Will of God and to trust in Him and remain faithful to Him even if the road ahead of us does not look clear.
The second thing is related to that. To both Joseph and Mary, the angel says, “Do not be afraid”. Fear can be a very powerful thing. At times, it can paralyze us. I remember when I was discerning my own vocation, one thing that was holding me back was fear – fear of what becoming a priest would cost me, fear of the possibility of making the wrong decision. A lot of vocations, whether to the priesthood, religious life, or married life, are stifled because of fear. Had Joseph given into fear, he would have never taken Mary to be his wife. Had Mary given into fear, she would never have become the Mother of God’s Son. And we would all be in trouble.
Do not be afraid to give yourself to God. Fear can do that sometimes. Fear prevents a lot of people from committing themselves to God, afraid of what it will cost them. Pope Francis said, “Do not be afraid of holiness, do not be afraid to aim high, to be loved and purified by God, do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit”.
As I said, fear can be a very powerful thing. You can feel it in the world today. Today’s liturgy reminds us, “Do not be afraid”. “The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel…which means, God is with us”. That’s why we are not afraid. God is with us.
And He is coming in the Flesh. On Christmas, yes, but also in a few minutes on our altar in the Eucharist. Today let’s resolve to cast out any fear that might be in our hearts. Let’s resolve to not give into the fear of our culture, and instead, like Joseph and Mary, place all our trust in God confident that He is with us even to the end of the age.
