4th Sunday Advent - Fr. Leo

We celebrate many of our Marian feast days with the passage from Luke’s gospel that celebrates Mary’s yes to God’s will, when the angel Gabriel invites her to become the mother of the Son of God.  Today’s gospel passage from Matthew, is a parallel passage to Luke’s, in which Joseph declares his yes to the will of God.

Just as Mary was startled when she was told she was going to have a child, but didn’t know man.  So Joseph was startled my Mary’s pregnancy that he wasn’t part of.  He doesn’t know what to do.  Out of love, he wants to divorce her quietly, which would be kind.  But through an angel in a dream, he was encouraged to take Mary as his wife as the will of God.  Upon awakening he consents and takes Mary into his home.

What is true for Mary and Joseph, is also true for us.  We too, are called to do the Lord’s will in our lives.  And while it may not be as startling as Mary and Joseph’s call, the Lord does send us angels, or messages, to guide us in God’s ways.  This is where reflection becomes indispensable. It is only when we are grounded in our center with God, that we can become attentive to God’s messages.

God speaks to us constantly.  It may be through a memory, a conversation, an insight, or a dream, or a super natural event we don’t expect.  Only through quiet reflection and prayer will we hear God’s voice and receive the encouragement we need to carry it out as Mary and Joseph did.  So let us “pay attention” to the wonderful events of the next few days, and let God reveal himself and his will to us.  Let us pray for the fullness of the incarnation of God in our hearts so we can join Mary, Joseph and all the saints in eternal praise of the God who made us.