Homily for December 19, 2004
Liturgical Year A-Cycle I
4th Sunday of Advent

Gospel :
Mt 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.

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As we enter the countdown days before Christmas, have you ever wondered what might have been going on in the mind of Joseph, who, at this point in history, is traveling with a wife that is about to give birth to a child?  He is seeking shelter from the elements for the birth of the Son of God.  He is being greeted with, “There is no room at the inn.”

Reflecting back, he might be thinking of the time when he first learned of Mary being with child.  He had no one to turn to for advice in such a perilous situation like a pregnancy that he could not rationally explain.  He might have remembered the prophecy of Isaiah in today’s first reading stating, “. . . a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.”  He certainly did not know that it applied to Mary.  She was obviously pregnant and Joseph did not know what do. So, he turned to God in prayer.

God responded in a dream telling Joseph that the child is the result of divine action.  Joseph is extraordinary in his unquestioning acceptance of the revelation that this child is the Son of God. He had to be divinely inspired to take on the responsibility of such a family as this child was growing up.  I wonder what it would be like to have a spouse who not only thought but knew that her child was God.  Better still, how do you respond to a spouse who is in fact the Mother of God? 

Speaking of, I recall a story of a Sunday school teacher asking a class of little ones, “Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?” One of them said, “Because his mother was there.”

Joseph lived in trusting darkness for the rest of his life. He finally did find a place for Jesus to be born.  Then he took the one and only long trip of his life to save the baby from the envious King Herod.  After living for some years as an alien in a foreign land, he returned with his family to Nazareth and there he supported Jesus and his mother by the sweat and skill of his work. Whenever God told him to move, he moved.  But most of the time he just stayed put and did ordinary Joseph things; he worked; he loved Mary and Jesus; he listened carefully for the will of God that was whispered quietly to him in the midst of the ordinary events of his daily life.

Joseph preaches a powerful sermon by his life style.  He was not “God Almighty” like his foster son.  He was not “full of grace” like his wife. He understood.  He lived a simple life, loving deeply his wife and Jesus, believing all the while that somehow things would work out for the best. 

In sharp contrast to Joseph’s type of simple life, we find that there is very little space in our lives that we don’t try to fill with something “productive.” We can do business on the phone while having lunch with a friend.  We can write a letter while receiving instant messages on our computers and checking the latest sports scores. 

Perhaps we have become so mesmerized by the possibilities of technology in our lives that we have lost sight of one of the most important tasks in life: taking the time to wait and see what God is doing in our lives. 

Advent is all about time.  It is about recalling a time, long ago and very different from our own, in which a couple made their way slowly but expectantly with a child waiting in his mother’s womb. This journey was not a time for multitasking. Rather, it was a time for watching, listening and wondering what God was about to do in their lives. 

I can’t help but turn my attention back to Joseph. He lived a life of love and trust and this got him through the many days of his life that had questions without answers.  I think this a remarkable lesson that we could well remember when we, like Joseph, face our days without answers.
 
God Bless.