4th Sunday of Advent - Fr. Leo
The beauty of creation reflects the wonder, power and continuing presence of God. Any person who communes with nature knows this. Awe rises in the heart of the one who takes the time to absorb the beauty of creation. Sunsets and sunrises, a hike in the woods, a walk around a lake, watching the gentle fall of snow can move us beyond ourselves to an awareness of something timeless and wonderful.
Jesus was aware of this beauty, and the psalms he prayed spoke often of the glory of the Lord who made the earth and all that is in it. The power of God experienced in an earthquake makes our lack of power abundantly clear. But the presence of God that Jesus wants us to recognize is the wonder we experience in the things around us and in us, “The kingdom of God is with in you.”
So we are called to see and wonder about the beauty of each human person and the God within them. The great sign given in our readings makes this clear. Isaiah teaches we will be given a sign by the Lord himself : the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. It is through human relationships that we come to know God’s love.
The gospel echo's Isaiah, Mary will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and will name him Jesus as he will save his people from their sins. This reality comes to us in Joseph’s response to the Holy Spirit. Over coming his woundedness, Joseph sees the hand of God in his love for Mary and takes her into his home.
Like Joseph, we are called to recognize God’s presence in creation, in each other, and in ourselves through what God ask of us. Let us pray then that we may come to the faith experience of welcoming Mary and her Son Jesus Christ into our hearts so that Christ’s incarnation can continue in us! May the same Spirit that guided Joseph guide us to live Christ and experience Christ in every breath and every deed. Amen.