An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife’ (Matthew 1:24).
Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand)
Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)
Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel Matthew 1:18-24 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this
way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they
came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her
husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame,
resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear
to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call
his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the
Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and
they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife [into his home].
Many years ago a young friend of mine in Mindanao on his first day in school was asked by his teacher who his father was. The boy answered, Ang Dios nga Amahan - 'God the Father'. The youngster was correct. Our deepest identity is that through baptism we are sons and daughters of God the Father, brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, as St Paul states in today's Second Reading.
Not only is that our identity, it is also our mission because through Jesus we have received grace and apostleship . . . among all the nations. In his First Letter to the Corinthians St Paul spells out what this may mean: For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). Being a son or daughter of God the Father, a brother or sister of Jesus and of one another demands that we help carry the Cross of Jesus and that we make him known to others.
St John of the Cross writes: When he [God the Father] gave us, as he did, his Son, who is his one Word, he spoke everything to us, once and for all in that one Word. There is nothing further for him to say.
I highlight some of those words: he spoke everything to us, once and for all in that one Word. There is nothing further for him to say.
El Greco's two paintings here show very clearly that we preach Christ crucified. The background of the city of Toledo, Spain, where the artist lived for many years, highlights the truth of the words of St John read at the Mass During the Day on Christmas Day: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Risen Lord lived in Toledo in El Greco's time, as he lives there now, as he lives wherever we are.
Advent prepares us to meet Jesus Christ, recalling the moment of his birth at Christmas; prepares us to meet him when he comes again in glory at the end of time, while preparing us to meet him at the moment of our death. And it prepares us to meet him in our daily lives, often in surprising and unexpected ways. All of this is the way of Jesus to draw us into a more intimate relationship with him, to draw us more deeply into our understanding of him as the Father's one Word.
Pope Benedict XVI in his General Audience on 3 September 2008 spoke on what had happened to St Paul on the road to Damascus. He finished with the following words [emphases added].
Turning now to ourselves, let us ask what this means for us. It means that for us too Christianity is not a new philosophy or a new morality. We are only Christians if we encounter Christ. Of course, he does not show himself to us in this overwhelming, luminous way, as he did to Paul to make him the Apostle to all peoples. But we too can encounter Christ in reading Sacred Scripture, in prayer, in the liturgical life of the Church. We can touch Christ's Heart and feel him touching ours. Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we truly become Christians. And in this way our reason opens, all Christ's wisdom opens as do all the riches of truth.
Therefore let us pray the Lord to illumine us, to grant us an encounter with his presence in our world, and thus to grant us a lively faith, an open heart and great love for all, which is capable of renewing the world.
May
the coming week be a time when we meet the loving Heart of Christ intimately
and feel him touching ours.
TEXT The angel Gabriel from heaven came, his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame; "All hail," said he, "thou lowly maiden, Mary, most highly favored lady," Gloria! "For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be, all generations laud and honour thee, thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold, "most highly favoured lady," Gloria! Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head, "To me be as it pleaseth God," she said. "My soul shall laud and magnify His holy Name." "Most highly favoured lady," Gloria! Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn, and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, "most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
Traditional Latin Mass
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 12-21-2025 if necessary).
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. Gospel: Luke 3:1-6.
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain (Isaiah 40:4) quoted in today’s Gospel (Luke 3:5).
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