FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
22nd December 2019
Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24.
Today’s gospel is a revelation of the mystery of incarnation. The readings point to the fact that the nativity is a mystery beyond human comprehension. The prophesy – the virgin shall conceive and bear a son – was given by the Prophet Isaiah. But today the readings emphasize the difficulty in comprehension even for the righteous. Joseph and Mary, though righteous in the sight of God, were unable to comprehend the mystery of ‘conception by the Holy Spirit’. It took the intervention of the angel of the Lord for Joseph to take Mary home as his wife.
St. Paul describes this mystery as ‘… descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead…’ According to Paul, this mystery calls us to the obedience of faith. This is the exact attitude of Joseph when he took Mary in as his wife.
The obedience of faith is what will connect us to EMMANUEL, the God that is with us!
Anthony Ekpunobi, CM.
