Reflections
Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Do you remember what you dreamt about last night? How about two weeks ago? Matthew tells us tonight about a dream that Joseph had; one that I bet he remembered for a long, long time.
The story goes like this: once Joseph had wrestled with the question of taking Mary into his home as his wife or quietly divorcing her that an angel told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife for the child she carried was given to her by the Holy Spirit. Wait, how did Joseph know she was with child? A few months ago, Mary left Nazareth to visit an older cousin. Elizabeth, who was with child. It is highly likely that she stayed until John was born and Elizabeth was back on her feet.
Coming home I’m sure she was excited to see Joseph, to talk about beginning their married life together, to tell him all the things that had happened over the months. I imagine she also felt some apprehension as she caught a few of the looks and bits and pieces of the conversations that were going on behind her back, wondering how much Joseph was hearing and . . . believing.
What does this story have to do about the long-awaited Messiah? The reading from 2nd Samuel tells the lineage of the Messiah, that he would come from the house of David. Joseph traced his ancestors back to King David. God had a plan and Joseph was part of it, IF he so chose.
Joseph was a good, upright man, not wanting to hurt Mary, but how could he take her into his home if she had lain with another man. He decided to quietly divorce her. Most likely that meant living out his days in Nazareth, as a carpenter, without a family. The decision made he prepared for bed and the day ahead when he would tell Mary. After his encounter with the angel in his dream, Joseph did choose to be part of God’s plan of salvation. He chose to take Mary as his wife.
Did you notice that it was only after Joseph made his decision not to take Mary into his home that an angel visited him in a dream?
What does this mean for us, here tonight, on December 20, 2025? It says to me that we must make our own decisions yet be open to hearing the wisdom of another – a monastic elder, a friend, an angel, or even a stranger. Earlier this Advent season Sr. Suzanne spoke to us about the need to be prepared, to be ready for the coming of the one who is to come. Sr. Janelle encouraged us to listen and to live our life worthy of our calling. But in it all REJOICE as last week, Sr. Jeanne d’Arc reminded us because GOD IS WITH US.
As we continue these last few days of the Advent season, may we hold fast to our dreams of dignity for everyone, food for the hungry, shelter for those without and lasting peace throughout our world. GOD IS WITH US; O COME, O COME EMMANUEL.
