Dec.22, 2019 - 4th Sunday of Advent

(Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24)

Joseph is the “son of David,” and so through him the prophecy of Isaiah to the “house of David” can be fulfilled. Emmanuel, “God is with us,” was with Joseph, the son of David, when in obedient and trusting faith he “received [Mary] into his home.” In receiving Mary, he also received Jesus, who was already within her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Mary figures so prominently in a Catholic Advent. She’s the bearer of Emmanuel. God first takes up his dwelling in her. She’s the model in the flesh of the Church that receives the indwelling of the Savior in his flesh. If the core of the Catholic faith is expressed in the name Emmanuel, the “dwelling with us” is best shown in the persons of Mary, who received him into her womb, and Joseph, who received her into his home, the house of David.

This Gospel passage features that mysterious name “Emmanuel” which we apply to our Savior, Jesus Christ. It literally means “with us is God.” In that name is a capsule description of our Catholic faith. The single difference between Christianity and all other religions is that God has come to dwell among us as a man. While both Catholics and Protestants believe that Christ came in the flesh, we believe that he also left us his flesh, as promised in John 6 and Matthew 28:20, so that he could remain with us until the end of time. The whole of Catholic life centers on the belief that God has come into our midst and remains among us. The Sacraments make Christ present to us, particularly the Eucharist, which effects what we call His Real Presence among us: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. We could say that “Emmanuel” is another word for Incarnation. It’s only in carne, in the flesh, that God could dwell with us in that kind of intimacy— that’s at the very heart of Christian faith and the life of sanctity which expresses that faith.

• In the first reading, the Lord told Ahaz to ask for a sign. Have you ever asked God for a sign? What happened?
• What stands out for you in the way Joseph treated Mary after he found out she was pregnant? How can you follow his example when faced with a difficult situation?
• Christmas is near. For many of us, it’s the most stressful time of the year. So what kinds of things can we do this last week of Advent to better prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child and not get so caught up in all the “stuff ” that’s out there?