Reading 1 Jeremiah 23:5-8
This passage is part of the “Booklet on Kings”. In it the prophet exhorts them to rule with justice with special attention to the poor. The last two verses of this passage were probably written during the exile, looking forward to the return to the land. We see in this passage the Prophet Jeremiah predicting the coming of the Messiah who will rule with justice for all time.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Our psalm today, again taken from the Royal Psalms sung by the king, is a prayer that the civil leader may rule with the justice of God. In doing so compassion will be shown to the poor and wealth of the kingdom will be shared with the poor. In this Advent season we see this song sung by the Son of God who comes with justice for the poor. In the final strophe we conclude with praise for a God who while unseen, makes his presence known through his creation.
Gospel Matthew 1:18-25
The passage we are given today is the beginning of St. Matthew’s story of the nativity of Jesus Specifically we see Joseph being told by the angel that he should bring Mary into his home as wife and the paternity of the child is the Holy Spirit. He is also told the name the child Emmanuel. The story ends with Joseph accepting the role and the command of the angel. “The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph's adoption the child belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.” (NAB)
Reflection:
The rose candle has been lit and we rejoice, knowing we are in the final week of preparation for the Nativity of the Lord – his birthday celebration. We are given scripture that predicts his first coming and a piece of the actual tale as provided by St. Matthew.
The story of Joseph’s call is instructive (That’s what it was, an angel coming and calling him to foster the child of the Holy Spirit). We know that historically Joseph was, at the time of Mary’s conception and obvious pregnancy, restricted from her. They were still living apart and we also know from other places in scripture that she had been away to see her cousin, Elizabeth. Joseph must have thought she was pregnant with another man’s child. Yet he listened to his dream – it must have been very vivid – and accepted that it was God’s messenger and the voice and will that he was hearing were being communicated by God through him.
He went further than listening, he accepted the mother as his wife and the child as his own heir, giving him a name and fulfilling his destiny and God’s will. Knowing, as we do, that God did not create a race of slaves, we can appreciate that Joseph made this choice out of faith and his own free will. That makes him a hero of our Advent story, right up there with John the Baptist and Mary.
Today we continue to make those final preparations for the Child to come and the celebration that accompanies the Christ Event. Let us today follow Joseph’s example and remember especially to listen carefully for the voice of God as he calls us. Know that the call can come in many forms and from many sources. Part of our preparation is to sharpen our hearing so when the Lord calls, we will hear, and like Joseph, accept that which the Lord God places before us.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is “Joseph’s Dream” by Gaetano Gandolfi, 1790
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