He is the one who is to save his people from their sins

 Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A - 18th December 2022

Gospel Matthew 1: 18–24

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son And they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’.

When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

With Christmas so near, I may be caught up getting things ready.

Perhaps I’m looking forward to being with family and friends. Or perhaps I struggle with loneliness, or a sense of emptiness as I remember a loved one.

Whatever time I have to spare, I settle gently into prayer. I try to let any chatter occupying my mind slow down. I place any concerns into the Lord’s gentle, caring hands, aware that I am in his loving presence.

I invite God’s Spirit to guide my prayer, opening my heart and mind to whatever it is the Lord may want to show me...

In time, I read the passage through, mulling over any word or image that particularly catches my attention.

Maybe I find myself thinking of Joseph in this difficult situation.

How might he be feeling? Sad ... afraid ... angry ... humiliated ... helpless ...?

Perhaps I picture him praying to God for guidance; searching for comfort. What might I do in his shoes? Where do I place my trust when I feel caught up in my own struggles? Do I rely on my own self-knowledge?

Or am I willing to accept things beyond my own understanding?

Joseph listens carefully to God. Might there be something distracting me from God’s call?

In my own words and from my heart, I share my feelings with the Lord. Perhaps there is a grace I wish to ask for.

I may think of the messengers in my own life, those ‘angels’ who have guided and helped me. I give thanks for them.

I may like to end with the old Opening Prayer for this Sunday (below), perhaps praying it in the first person: ‘Lord, fill my heart with your love ...’

Let us pray, as Advent draws to a close, 

that Christ will truly come into our hearts.

Lord, fill our hearts with your love, and as you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son as man,

so lead us through his suffering and death to the glory of his resurrection.

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's Gospel from the Jesuit Post