Fourth Sunday of Advent – Year A
We are nearly there, our 4th Advent candle is now lit, and Christmas is just around the corner. Not long too go. Today’s 4th Advent candle represents ‘Peace’ (the others were Hope, Love & Joy).
So, how are we getting on in the busyness of last-minute Christmas shopping, have we manged to find any peace, to prepare ourselves spiritually, as we look towards Our Saviour’s birth?
St. Joseph in today’s Gospel wasn’t getting any peace either, he had just found out, that Mary his betrothed was with child, and that it wasn’t his. The people in the local community had started to talk. Joseph was in a state of embarrassment. What should he do? He had a choice to divorce Mary publicly or privately. So, Joseph decided not to put Mary to any shame, and decided to divorce her privately.
By this statement, Matthew the Evangelist was indicating that Joseph was a ‘Just Man’. Giving us an overall picture of St. Joseph that aligns him with great biblical figures like ‘Abraham the Just’.
A ‘just man’ is someone who maintains a living contact with the ‘Word of God’. Who delights in the Law of the Lord, and reads it with loving openness to God, and in this way, learns to understand, by living it deeply from within.
The angel ‘came’ and physically appeared to Mary at the Annunciation, but the angel only ‘appeared’ to Joseph in a dream, a dream that was real.
This shows us another important quality of St. Joseph, his capacity to perceive the divine and his ability to discern God’s will. He was someone who was watchful with a real sensitivity for God. He was able with God’s divine grace to discern whether it was simply a dream or had God’s messenger truly appeared to Him. Joseph must have had extraordinary courageous faith, knowing that the dream was the truth and God had really spoken to him.
The angel greeted him with the words ‘Do not be afraid’ the very same words that the angel said to Mary at the Annunciation, with these words Joseph is now being drawn into the same mystery of God’s incarnation with Mary.
So, the divine plan which Mary and Joseph were meant to share together was put into motion, with great patience and humility Joseph accepted his vocation for which God had chosen for him. Even though he felt unworthy to act as a foster father for the child Jesus, since this child had come from God himself.
St. Joseph played a major role in the events of the first Christmas at Bethlehem. He was a true loyal servant, with a husband’s love, who cherished the virgin Mother of God and with fatherly care watched over the child Jesus.
Joseph’s obedience to God’s call was not without its difficulties or uncertainties, but he welcomed everything that happened as an opportunity to increase in holiness, coming closer to the Lord.
Joseph was a humble man, very much at peace, who gave everything in the service of Jesus Christ, his example gives us courage to face our daily problems, and to keep on believing when all seems hopeless. Along with John the Baptist and Mary, St. Joseph is also singled out as another person who can best prepare us for Christmas.
During this final week of Advent, be sure to know that ‘God is with us’. May we too hear the Lord calling us to follow his divine will, as we fully and freely accept the Lord’s message in our hearts as Joseph did. May our decisions in life, be based on a strong foundation of faith, given to us from God Our Heavenly Father, so we can also become ‘true and just’ for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Rev. Fr Philip Wrigley's Blog 