December 18, 4th Sunday of Advent

December 18, 2016

4th Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24

These past weeks I have been interviewing couples preparing for marriage. One of the questions I need to ask them is this: “Will you still marry your partner if you discover before marriage that he/she had a child in his/her previous relationship?” It is interesting to note that each couple has different answers: some would say no, some would say yes, while some would say,  “Father it’s difficult to answer the question.” 

But if we are to ask St Joseph that same question, as a just man and follower of the law, perhaps he will say “No”. This explains why in the gospel he wanted to divorce Mary quietly when he knew that she was pregnant. But as we see in the gospel, Joseph changed his mind when God intervened and asked him to take Mary as his wife. In what sense did Joseph become righteous and just in handling the situation? 

Let us reflect on the acronym J-U-S-T.

J – Judging life situations reflectively and wisely. When Joseph knew that Mary was pregnant, he was greatly disturbed and confused. But he did not let his emotions overcome him. He did not pass judgment on Mary immediately.  What did Joseph do? He took refuge in silence – reflecting and praying over his decision. My dear friends, silence is important in moment of confusion and crisis. Sometimes when we speak too soon without taking time to reflect, we might end up making the situation worse. Joseph reminds us of the importance of silence. This is not passive silence. This is active silence. We silence ourselves so that we can listen to what God is telling us. This is what Joseph experienced.  In his silence, he understood the will of God for him.

U - Understanding the will of God. It is precisely in the silence of Joseph that he was enlightened by the angel in his dream. Joseph might have thought that he had no role to play in the plan of God. But the angel in his dream told Joseph: “You have a very important role. You have to take Mary as your wife.  You will give name to this child. You will be his father.” What did Joseph do after being enlightened by God’s will?

S – Sacrifice for the sake of God’s will. Perhaps Joseph already had his own plans of what to do after their marriage. It could be possible that he had already planned the place where they will have their honeymoon. It is possible that he had in his mind building a house and putting up a business for his family.  It is also possible that he might have plans of having many children and later on see his grandchildren. These are all good plans for someone who is starting a family. But for Joseph, what mattered more for him are not his own plans but the plan of God. This led him to give up his own plans and give way to the plan of God.

T – Trust in God. Remember the image of the Sleeping St. Joseph popularized by Pope Francis during his visit to the Philippines?  He said that Joseph is not just a man of silence but also a man of strength. Imagine, after confronting a crisis, Joseph was still able to sleep well that night. Joseph knew that despite the crisis and darkness he was facing, God was preparing him for something better. After the dream, Joseph woke up and still in the spirit of trust in the Lord, Joseph did as the angel commanded him. 

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, let us ask for the grace to be JUST like St Joseph: May we judge life situations reflectively by taking time to be silent. May this silence lead us to listen and understand God’s will for us. May we learn to sacrifice our own will and give way to the plan of God. And may we do everything in the spirit of deep trust and faith in Him.  Amen.