Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 10
Lectionary: 10
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6.
R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Reading 2ROM 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
AlleluiaMT 1:23
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Meditation: "He will save
his people from their sins"
Do
you hold on to the promises of God at all times, especially when you are faced
with uncertainty or adversity? The prophet Isaiah spoke words of hope in a
hopeless situation for Israel. When Ahaz, the apostate king of Judah and heir
to the throne of David (735 B.C.) was surrounded by forces that threatened to
destroy him and his people, God offered him a sign to reassure him that God
would not abandon the promise he made to David and his descendants. King Ahaz,
however, had lost hope in God and refused to ask for a sign of favor. God,
nonetheless, gave a sign to assure his people that he would indeed give them a
Savior who would rule with peace and righteousness (Isaiah 7:11ff). Like the
prophet Isaiah we are called “in hope to believe against hope” (Romans 4:18)
that God can and will fulfill all his promises.
Mary
was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit
Mary had to face an enormous challenge to her faith and trust in God and to the faith of her family and Joseph, the man she chose to marry. She was asked to assume a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust in God and in his promises. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Mary had to face an enormous challenge to her faith and trust in God and to the faith of her family and Joseph, the man she chose to marry. She was asked to assume a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust in God and in his promises. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises.
Joseph
believed the angel's message "that which is conceived in her is of the
Holy Spirit"
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger. God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah.
Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, did not wish to embarrass or punish his espoused wife, Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant. To all appearances she had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another. Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger. God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah.
A
model of faith for us
Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems? God has not left us alone, but has brought us his only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation, with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems? God has not left us alone, but has brought us his only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation, with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
"Lord
Jesus, you came to save us from sin and the power of death. May I always
rejoice in your salvation and trust in your divine plan for my life."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The righteous branch of David is
Christ, by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.
"There
was only one remedy in the secret of the divine plan that could help the fallen
living in the general ruin of the entire human race (Jeremiah 23:5-8). This
remedy was that one of the sons of Adam should be born free and innocent of
original transgression, to prevail for the rest by his example and by his
merits. This was not permitted by natural generation. There could be no clean
offspring from our faulty stock by this seed. The Scripture says, 'Who can make
a clean thing conceived of an unclean seed? Isn't it you alone?' (Job 14:4)
David's Lord was made David's Son, and from the fruit of the promised branch
sprang. He is one without fault, the twofold nature coming together into one
person. By this one and the same conception and birth sprung our Lord Jesus
Christ, in whom was present both true Godhead for the performance of mighty
works and true manhood for the endurance of sufferings." (excerpt
from Sermon 28.3)
4th Sunday of Advent – Cycle A
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
Anticipation and preparedness are the watchwords for Advent. Anticipation of the celebration of the birth of our Lord some 2000 years ago and the festivities, gifts, parties and family get-togethers which accompany that celebration. Preparedness because we are reminded that Jesus will come at the end of the world (the parousia) and all will be judged – not just on whether they believed or not, but how they have lived out their belief. Are the end times near? No one knows but the Father. We must always be ready because our personal parousia can come at any time.
1st Reading - Isaiah 7:10-14
The attack of Syria and Israel on Judah was an attempt to force Judah into an anti-Assyrian coalition. Ahaz, king of Judah, resolved his difficulty, against the urging of Isaiah, by submitting as vassal to Assyria, whose king moved against Syria and Israel. The time is around 721 B.C. Judah is about to succumb politically and spiritually to the Assyrians and Isaiah has been warning Ahaz against this; while Ahaz’s advisors have been urging him to give in. The Lord has been speaking to Ahaz through Isaiah and has said: “7:7b This shall not stand, it shall not be! 8 Damascus is the capital of Aram, and Rezin the head of Damascus; Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria. 9 But within sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!”
10 [T]he LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
This need not mean something miraculous (see Isaiah 37:30), but it should be something which will convince Ahaz that it is from God. Ahaz is to ask for confirmation of God’s promise through Isaiah; something which will prove God’s firm will to save the House of David from its oppressors.
12 But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Ahaz’s refusal was undoubtedly motivated by his unwillingness to follow Isaiah’s advice; he will depend upon the might of Assyria rather than upon God.
13 Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
The sign to be given is no longer to persuade Ahaz but will, in the future, confirm the truth of what the prophet has spoken.
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
The Hebrew term used here (almah) is not the technical term for virgin, but may also be translated as “young woman”; a woman of marriageable age, whether a virgin or not. The oracles of prophets were usually fulfilled within the lifetime of the hearer, otherwise the prophet would have no credibility within his community. This does not preclude a secondary fulfillment later, but both aspects must be explored.
and shall name him Immanuel.
This solemn oracle is spoken by Isaiah before a royal court which is fearful lest the Davidic dynasty be overthrown. Such a catastrophe would mean the cancellation of the great dynastic promise made to David’s house (2 Samuel 7:12-16). It was on the royal successor to David’s house that Judah pinned her hopes for the welfare of God’s people. The child to be born, therefore, may be the young Hezekiah in whose birth Judah would see the continuing presence of God among His people and another renewal of the promise made to David. Hezekiah’s mother, at the time Isaiah spoke, would have been an almah. Nevertheless, the solemnity of the oracle and the name Emmanuel (God is with us) lend credence to the opinion that Isaiah’s perspective does not stop at the birth of Hezekiah; it moves ahead to that ideal king of David’s line through whose coming God could finally be said to definitively be with His people. This does not mean that Isaiah foresaw the fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ but he expressed the hope that Christ perfectly realized. Matthew and the Church, looking backward through the lens of the resurrection, have seen in the birth of Christ from the Blessed Virgin Mother the perfect fulfillment of this prophecy.
2nd Reading - Romans 1:1-7
Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans to a congregation which he did not establish – he hadn’t even visited it yet. Paul was conscious that his apostolate in the Mediterranean area was over. Having preached “all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum” (Romans 15:19), he looked westward to Spain. He planned to visit the Roman church en route, to fulfill a longstanding desire. Before heading west, he had to attend to one last matter: to carry personally to Jerusalem the collection taken up in Gentile churches that he had founded (Romans 15:25; 1 Corinthians 16:1) in order to manifest to the Jewish Christian mother church the solidarity existing between the “poor” of that community and the Gentile Christians of Galatia, Macedonia and Achaia. These Gentile Christians contributed to that collection, realizing that they had “shared in the spiritual blessings” of the mother church (Romans 15:27). So before he departed from Corinth for Jerusalem, Paul wrote to the Roman church to announce his coming visit. In Saint Paul’s letters the greeting follows a standard form, though he does use some variations. The three basic components are: name of sender, name of addressee; greeting. In identifying himself, Paul often adds phrases to describe his apostolic mission and our reading today contains one of the most eloquent of these descriptions.
1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
The first of three descriptions of himself. This description reflects not only the Old Testament custom of the pious calling themselves slaves (servants) in the sight of Yahweh (Psalm 27:9; 31:16; 89:50), but especially its Old Testament use to describe the great figures who served Yahweh in salvation history [Moses (2 Kings 18:12), Joshua (Judges 2:8), Abraham (Psalm 105:42)]. Paul, as a servant of Christ, belongs to the same line. For a Roman to become a slave is quite a change.
called to be an apostle
This second description of himself emphasizes the divine origin of his apostolate. The event on the road to Damascus may be regarded as his call to the apostolate.
and set apart for the gospel of God,
This is the third description of himself. Galatians 1:5 explains that he was destined for this role before his birth. It is God’s gospel because its ultimate source is the Father (Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 11:7).
2 which he promised previously
Promised long ago. From this very beginning of his letter to the Romans (which is where we are in today’s reading) Paul stresses that his gospel of salvation is part of a divine and ancient plan, in which even the Old Testament had a part.
through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
Not just the three major and twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, but all the Old Testament persons whom the early church regarded as uttering statements regarding
Christ.
3 the gospel about his Son,
God’s gospel and the promises made by Him on the Old Testament refer to Jesus (according to Paul) who stands in a unique relation to God as His Son (Romans 8:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:4). Paul is going to affirm two things about the risen Christ.
descended from David according to the flesh,
This first affirmation asserts that Jesus was a son of David in the order of natural physical descent. He was a royal son with a right to the sacral anointing of a messiah.
4 but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness
This second affirmation contrasts with the first. Although Jesus was the son descended from David on the physical level, he was set up as the Son of God with power on the level of the Spirit (as of the resurrection). As “life giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45), Jesus is able to communicate the Spirit to those who believe in Him.
“Christ is the son of David in weakness according to the flesh but Son of God in power according to the Spirit of sanctification. ... Weakness relates to David but life eternal to the power of God.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 393), Explanation of Certain Passages from the Apostle’s Epistle to the Romans 5,7]
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
This designates the resurrection itself as an influence in Christ’s saving activity.
5 Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
Paul’s charismatic role as the apostle to the Gentiles came to him through the Risen Christ (Acts 22:10).
to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
The first (here) and last (Romans 16:26) mentions of faith in the Letter to the Romans are “obedience of faith”; this sets the context within which his use of the word “faith” is to be understood. Paul conceives of faith as a process that begins with hearing and ends with a personal commitment and obedient submission.
6 among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7 to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Literally, “called to be saints.” The Old Testament expression “holy gathering” was used of the Israelites at the Exodus (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:2-4); it designated them as a people set apart and dedicated to Yahweh. Paul adapts the Old Testament expression and insinuates a new sense in which they are now “holy called ones (saints),” sanctified by baptism (Romans 6:22; 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26-27). Christians are called to be saints in that they are called to make their lives conform to the gift they have already received (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7).
“See how often Paul uses the word called! ... And he does so not out of long-windedness but out of a desire to remind them of the benefit which calling brings. For since it was likely that among those who believed there would be some consuls and rulers as well as poor and common men, Paul casts aside inequality of rank and writes to them all under one common heading. But if in the most important and spiritual things everything is laid out as common to both slaves and free men, e.g., the love of God, the calling, the gospel, the adoption, the grace, the peace, the sanctification, etc., how could it be other than the utmost folly to divide those whom God had joined together and made to be of equal honor in the higher things, for the sake of things on earth. For this reason, I presume, from the very start this blessed apostle casts out this mischievous disease and then leads them to the mother of blessings – humility.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 391), Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans 1,7]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel - Matthew 1:18-24
Having heard of the Annunciation as the gospel reading for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we now hear about Joseph and his reaction to the news.
18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together,
Betrothed (espoused) was more than engaged, it was considered married; although the groom had not taken the bride into his house, an event that took place on the seventh day of the marriage feast. Once a couple was betrothed, any children born were considered to be the legitimate issue of the couple.
she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
The virginal conception may be regarded as an outward physical sign of the invisible, inner reality, the birth of the Son of God.
19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
“Joseph” means “let him (God) add”. Some scholars suggest the original form of the name was “let him gather”. He is called righteous (upright) because of his desire to observe the Law.
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
Levitical law required stoning of an adulterous wife (Deuteronomy 22:21).
decided to divorce her quietly.
Write a bill of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1) as opposed to the trial by ordeal (Numbers 5:11-31).
20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
The angel of the Lord announces the birth of Samson (Judges 13:3) and here it announces the name of the child: Jesus (means “Yahweh is salvation”).
and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew here exploits the meaning of the name which can be popularly translated as “God saves”. The Hebrew name is “Joshua” which appears in Greek as Iesous which English transliterates as Jesus.
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Fulfillment occurs eleven times in Matthew, more than the other three gospels combined.
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
Quotes Isaiah 7:14 (our first reading) according to the Septuagint except for “they shall call”. The Septuagint says “you shall call”. Matthew uses the text to affirm the virgin birth. His emphasis, however, seems to be more on the declaration of a savior who shall be called Emmanuel (God is with us), than on the word “virgin” (the Septuagint used the Greek word for “virgin” rather than the one for “young girl” as the Hebrew might have). The birth initiates the Messianic age of salvation to which the whole Old Testament looks forward. The age begins with the birth of a child. Jesus makes the presence of God among His people a physical reality.
and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
This name is fulfilled in the Holy Eucharist and also is fulfilled in Matthew 28:20 where Jesus declares “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”.
24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
The next verse “He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus” has caused trouble since the early heresies of the Helvidians and the Jovians who concluded from it that Mary and Joseph had marital relations after the birth of Jesus. “Until” doesn’t always mean that something happens – I haven’t been a millionaire until today, but I don’t expect I’ll be one tomorrow either. The Jews didn’t believe the man had been born blind (John 9:18) until they summoned his parents; they didn’t believe after that either.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
Anticipation and preparedness are the watchwords for Advent. Anticipation of the celebration of the birth of our Lord some 2000 years ago and the festivities, gifts, parties and family get-togethers which accompany that celebration. Preparedness because we are reminded that Jesus will come at the end of the world (the parousia) and all will be judged – not just on whether they believed or not, but how they have lived out their belief. Are the end times near? No one knows but the Father. We must always be ready because our personal parousia can come at any time.
1st Reading - Isaiah 7:10-14
The attack of Syria and Israel on Judah was an attempt to force Judah into an anti-Assyrian coalition. Ahaz, king of Judah, resolved his difficulty, against the urging of Isaiah, by submitting as vassal to Assyria, whose king moved against Syria and Israel. The time is around 721 B.C. Judah is about to succumb politically and spiritually to the Assyrians and Isaiah has been warning Ahaz against this; while Ahaz’s advisors have been urging him to give in. The Lord has been speaking to Ahaz through Isaiah and has said: “7:7b This shall not stand, it shall not be! 8 Damascus is the capital of Aram, and Rezin the head of Damascus; Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria. 9 But within sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!”
10 [T]he LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
This need not mean something miraculous (see Isaiah 37:30), but it should be something which will convince Ahaz that it is from God. Ahaz is to ask for confirmation of God’s promise through Isaiah; something which will prove God’s firm will to save the House of David from its oppressors.
12 But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Ahaz’s refusal was undoubtedly motivated by his unwillingness to follow Isaiah’s advice; he will depend upon the might of Assyria rather than upon God.
13 Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
The sign to be given is no longer to persuade Ahaz but will, in the future, confirm the truth of what the prophet has spoken.
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
The Hebrew term used here (almah) is not the technical term for virgin, but may also be translated as “young woman”; a woman of marriageable age, whether a virgin or not. The oracles of prophets were usually fulfilled within the lifetime of the hearer, otherwise the prophet would have no credibility within his community. This does not preclude a secondary fulfillment later, but both aspects must be explored.
and shall name him Immanuel.
This solemn oracle is spoken by Isaiah before a royal court which is fearful lest the Davidic dynasty be overthrown. Such a catastrophe would mean the cancellation of the great dynastic promise made to David’s house (2 Samuel 7:12-16). It was on the royal successor to David’s house that Judah pinned her hopes for the welfare of God’s people. The child to be born, therefore, may be the young Hezekiah in whose birth Judah would see the continuing presence of God among His people and another renewal of the promise made to David. Hezekiah’s mother, at the time Isaiah spoke, would have been an almah. Nevertheless, the solemnity of the oracle and the name Emmanuel (God is with us) lend credence to the opinion that Isaiah’s perspective does not stop at the birth of Hezekiah; it moves ahead to that ideal king of David’s line through whose coming God could finally be said to definitively be with His people. This does not mean that Isaiah foresaw the fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ but he expressed the hope that Christ perfectly realized. Matthew and the Church, looking backward through the lens of the resurrection, have seen in the birth of Christ from the Blessed Virgin Mother the perfect fulfillment of this prophecy.
2nd Reading - Romans 1:1-7
Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans to a congregation which he did not establish – he hadn’t even visited it yet. Paul was conscious that his apostolate in the Mediterranean area was over. Having preached “all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum” (Romans 15:19), he looked westward to Spain. He planned to visit the Roman church en route, to fulfill a longstanding desire. Before heading west, he had to attend to one last matter: to carry personally to Jerusalem the collection taken up in Gentile churches that he had founded (Romans 15:25; 1 Corinthians 16:1) in order to manifest to the Jewish Christian mother church the solidarity existing between the “poor” of that community and the Gentile Christians of Galatia, Macedonia and Achaia. These Gentile Christians contributed to that collection, realizing that they had “shared in the spiritual blessings” of the mother church (Romans 15:27). So before he departed from Corinth for Jerusalem, Paul wrote to the Roman church to announce his coming visit. In Saint Paul’s letters the greeting follows a standard form, though he does use some variations. The three basic components are: name of sender, name of addressee; greeting. In identifying himself, Paul often adds phrases to describe his apostolic mission and our reading today contains one of the most eloquent of these descriptions.
1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
The first of three descriptions of himself. This description reflects not only the Old Testament custom of the pious calling themselves slaves (servants) in the sight of Yahweh (Psalm 27:9; 31:16; 89:50), but especially its Old Testament use to describe the great figures who served Yahweh in salvation history [Moses (2 Kings 18:12), Joshua (Judges 2:8), Abraham (Psalm 105:42)]. Paul, as a servant of Christ, belongs to the same line. For a Roman to become a slave is quite a change.
called to be an apostle
This second description of himself emphasizes the divine origin of his apostolate. The event on the road to Damascus may be regarded as his call to the apostolate.
and set apart for the gospel of God,
This is the third description of himself. Galatians 1:5 explains that he was destined for this role before his birth. It is God’s gospel because its ultimate source is the Father (Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 11:7).
2 which he promised previously
Promised long ago. From this very beginning of his letter to the Romans (which is where we are in today’s reading) Paul stresses that his gospel of salvation is part of a divine and ancient plan, in which even the Old Testament had a part.
through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
Not just the three major and twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, but all the Old Testament persons whom the early church regarded as uttering statements regarding
Christ.
3 the gospel about his Son,
God’s gospel and the promises made by Him on the Old Testament refer to Jesus (according to Paul) who stands in a unique relation to God as His Son (Romans 8:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:4). Paul is going to affirm two things about the risen Christ.
descended from David according to the flesh,
This first affirmation asserts that Jesus was a son of David in the order of natural physical descent. He was a royal son with a right to the sacral anointing of a messiah.
4 but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness
This second affirmation contrasts with the first. Although Jesus was the son descended from David on the physical level, he was set up as the Son of God with power on the level of the Spirit (as of the resurrection). As “life giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45), Jesus is able to communicate the Spirit to those who believe in Him.
“Christ is the son of David in weakness according to the flesh but Son of God in power according to the Spirit of sanctification. ... Weakness relates to David but life eternal to the power of God.” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 393), Explanation of Certain Passages from the Apostle’s Epistle to the Romans 5,7]
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
This designates the resurrection itself as an influence in Christ’s saving activity.
5 Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
Paul’s charismatic role as the apostle to the Gentiles came to him through the Risen Christ (Acts 22:10).
to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
The first (here) and last (Romans 16:26) mentions of faith in the Letter to the Romans are “obedience of faith”; this sets the context within which his use of the word “faith” is to be understood. Paul conceives of faith as a process that begins with hearing and ends with a personal commitment and obedient submission.
6 among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7 to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Literally, “called to be saints.” The Old Testament expression “holy gathering” was used of the Israelites at the Exodus (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:2-4); it designated them as a people set apart and dedicated to Yahweh. Paul adapts the Old Testament expression and insinuates a new sense in which they are now “holy called ones (saints),” sanctified by baptism (Romans 6:22; 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26-27). Christians are called to be saints in that they are called to make their lives conform to the gift they have already received (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7).
“See how often Paul uses the word called! ... And he does so not out of long-windedness but out of a desire to remind them of the benefit which calling brings. For since it was likely that among those who believed there would be some consuls and rulers as well as poor and common men, Paul casts aside inequality of rank and writes to them all under one common heading. But if in the most important and spiritual things everything is laid out as common to both slaves and free men, e.g., the love of God, the calling, the gospel, the adoption, the grace, the peace, the sanctification, etc., how could it be other than the utmost folly to divide those whom God had joined together and made to be of equal honor in the higher things, for the sake of things on earth. For this reason, I presume, from the very start this blessed apostle casts out this mischievous disease and then leads them to the mother of blessings – humility.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 391), Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans 1,7]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel - Matthew 1:18-24
Having heard of the Annunciation as the gospel reading for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we now hear about Joseph and his reaction to the news.
18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together,
Betrothed (espoused) was more than engaged, it was considered married; although the groom had not taken the bride into his house, an event that took place on the seventh day of the marriage feast. Once a couple was betrothed, any children born were considered to be the legitimate issue of the couple.
she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
The virginal conception may be regarded as an outward physical sign of the invisible, inner reality, the birth of the Son of God.
19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
“Joseph” means “let him (God) add”. Some scholars suggest the original form of the name was “let him gather”. He is called righteous (upright) because of his desire to observe the Law.
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
Levitical law required stoning of an adulterous wife (Deuteronomy 22:21).
decided to divorce her quietly.
Write a bill of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1) as opposed to the trial by ordeal (Numbers 5:11-31).
20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
The angel of the Lord announces the birth of Samson (Judges 13:3) and here it announces the name of the child: Jesus (means “Yahweh is salvation”).
and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew here exploits the meaning of the name which can be popularly translated as “God saves”. The Hebrew name is “Joshua” which appears in Greek as Iesous which English transliterates as Jesus.
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Fulfillment occurs eleven times in Matthew, more than the other three gospels combined.
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
Quotes Isaiah 7:14 (our first reading) according to the Septuagint except for “they shall call”. The Septuagint says “you shall call”. Matthew uses the text to affirm the virgin birth. His emphasis, however, seems to be more on the declaration of a savior who shall be called Emmanuel (God is with us), than on the word “virgin” (the Septuagint used the Greek word for “virgin” rather than the one for “young girl” as the Hebrew might have). The birth initiates the Messianic age of salvation to which the whole Old Testament looks forward. The age begins with the birth of a child. Jesus makes the presence of God among His people a physical reality.
and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
This name is fulfilled in the Holy Eucharist and also is fulfilled in Matthew 28:20 where Jesus declares “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”.
24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
The next verse “He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus” has caused trouble since the early heresies of the Helvidians and the Jovians who concluded from it that Mary and Joseph had marital relations after the birth of Jesus. “Until” doesn’t always mean that something happens – I haven’t been a millionaire until today, but I don’t expect I’ll be one tomorrow either. The Jews didn’t believe the man had been born blind (John 9:18) until they summoned his parents; they didn’t believe after that either.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, MATTHEW 1:18-24
(Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, MATTHEW 1:18-24
(Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7)
KEY VERSE: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel" (v. 23).
TO KNOW: Matthew’s gospel has the most distinctive Jewish characteristics. He begins his gospel with a genealogy to show that Jesus shared ancestry with the people of Israel. Jesus was the long anticipated "Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Mt 1:1). Whereas Luke's nativity is told from Mary's perspective, Matthew's point of view was Joseph, to whom she was betrothed. Betrothal was a solemn commitment, which lasted a full year, and could only be terminated by divorce. Before Mary and Joseph lived together as husband and wife, she was found to be with child. Joseph was a "righteous man" who followed the Mosaic Law, but he decided to divorce her quietly as he was unwilling to expose her to public disgrace (death by stoning (Dt 22:23-24). Just as the patriarch Joseph received divine communication through dreams (Gn 37:5-9), the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. He was told not to fear taking Mary as his wife as the child had been conceived through God's Spirit. Joseph accepted guardianship of the child who would be named Jesus ("Yahweh saves"). Through Joseph, Jesus would bear the messianic title "Son of David" (Mt 1:20). Jesus is "Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us" (Mt 1:23; Is.7:14), the incarnate Son of God who dwells with his people to the end of the age (Mt 28:20).
TO LOVE: How can I follow Joseph's example of humble obedience to God's word?
TO SERVE: St. Joseph, help me to follow the Lord’s guidance when I have a difficult decision to make.
O KING OF ALL NATIONS
Today's O Antiphon is "O Rex Gentium" (O King of all the nations). This sixth antiphon addresses the savior as the king of the gentiles (Jer.10:7) and the Desired One of the nations. Jesus, the Messiah, is the cornerstone on whom our spiritual foundations are laid, the cornerstone that unites and binds Jew and gentile into one, making peace between them.
O come, Desire of nations, bind,
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of peace.
HANUKKAH BEGINS
The Jewish feast of Hanukkah begins on the 25 day of the month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, and lasts for eight days. Many people think of Hanukkah as "the Jewish Christmas," but the two holidays have nothing to do with each other, except that they're celebrated at roughly the same time of year. The Hanukkah story involves a group of warriors led by Judas Maccabeus. In 164 BC they drove the Syrians out of Israel and reclaimed and purified the Temple, which had been desecrated. According to a story in the Talmud, when the Maccabees retook the Temple, they found only enough oil for one night to light the menorah (the eight branched candelabrum). Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight nights. The Temple was rededicated, and the Jews celebrated the miracle with an eight-day festival (1 Mc 4:36-59). Like all Jewish holidays, Hanukkah ("dedication") begins at sundown, when the first candle of the nine-branch candelabrum is lit by the shamash, or service candle, at the center of the menorah. Prayers are said each night during the lighting until all eight candles are lit.
Sunday 22 December 2019
4th Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:10-14. Psalm 23(24):1-6. Romans 1:1-7. Matthew 1:18-24.
Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory – Psalm 23(24):1-6.
‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, a name that means “God-is-with-us”.’
Isaiah 7:10-14. Psalm 23(24):1-6. Romans 1:1-7. Matthew 1:18-24.
Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory – Psalm 23(24):1-6.
‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, a name that means “God-is-with-us”.’
Lord, as we come to prayer we know that you are with us. Prayer
is not so much something that we do, but rather what you do in us.
However sometimes it can seem that we spend time waiting for you
to come to us. Prayer can be so hard and dry. There can be times when we grow
weary of waiting. But then we know there are also special times when we have
known your presence. At those times you come to us in such simple ways that
it’s like a renewal, like Christmas to a child.
Today, as we pray to you, give us the patience to wait for your
coming. Give us the faith to believe in your promise that you will come. Give
us the insight to see you present even when you seem to be absent. Let us know
you as Emmanuel, God-with-us.
Blessed Jacopone da Todi
Saint of the Day for December 22
(c. 1230 – December 25, 1306)
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| Blessed Jacopone da Todi | Paolo Uccello | photo by The Yorck Project |
Blessed Jacopone da Todi’s Story
Jacomo or James, was born a noble member of the Benedetti family
in the northern Italian city of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married
a pious, generous lady named Vanna.
His young wife took it upon herself to do penance for the
worldly excesses of her husband. One day Vanna, at the insistence of Jacomo,
attended a public tournament. She was sitting in the stands with the other
noble ladies when the stands collapsed. Vanna was killed. Her shaken husband
was even more disturbed when he realized that the penitential girdle she wore
was for his sinfulness. On the spot, he vowed to radically change his life.
Jacomo divided his possessions among the poor and entered the
Secular Franciscan Order. Often dressed in penitential rags, he was mocked as a
fool and called Jacopone, or “Crazy Jim,” by his former associates. The name
became dear to him.
After 10 years of such humiliation, Jacopone asked to be
received into the Order of Friars Minor. Because of his reputation, his request
was initially refused. He composed a beautiful poem on the vanities of the
world, an act that eventually led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He
continued to lead a life of strict penance, declining to be ordained a priest.
Meanwhile, he was writing popular hymns in the vernacular.
Jacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing
religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals, as they were called,
wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had on their side two cardinals
of the Church and Pope Celestine V. These two cardinals though, opposed
Celestine’s successor, Boniface VIII. At the age of 68, Jacopone was
excommunicated and imprisoned. Although he acknowledged his mistake, Jacopone
was not absolved and released until Benedict XI became pope five years later.
He had accepted his imprisonment as penance. He spent the final three years of
his life more spiritual than ever, weeping “because Love is not loved.” During
this time he wrote the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater.
On Christmas Eve in 1306 Jacopone felt that his end was near. He
was in a convent of the Poor Clares with his friend, Blessed John of La Verna.
Like Francis, Jacopone welcomed “Sister Death” with one of his favorite songs.
It is said that he finished the song and died as the priest intoned the
“Gloria” from the midnight Mass at Christmas. From the time of his death,
Brother Jacopone has been venerated as a saint.
Reflection
His contemporaries called Jacopone, “Crazy Jim.” We might well
echo their taunt, for what else can you say about a man who broke into song in
the midst of all his troubles? We still sing Jacopone’s saddest song, the Stabat
Mater, but we Christians claim another song as our own, even when the daily
headlines resound with discordant notes. Jacopone’s whole life rang out our
song: “Alleluia!” May he inspire us to keep singing.
Lectio Divina: 4th Sunday of Advent (A)
Lectio Divina
Sunday, December 22, 2019
The justice of Joseph saved Mary’s life
Matthew 1:18-24
Matthew 1:18-24
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures
with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In
the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the
presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the
cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life
and of resurrection.
Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in
Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor
and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on
the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to
others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and
peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us
and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
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