Sunday, December 18, 2022

 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, December 18, 2022

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

We all know that actions speak louder than words. No one in history exemplifies this adage more than Saint Joseph. In the gospels he does not say a single word. However, his actions have facilitated the coming of the Savior to the world.

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew presents Saint Joseph as a "righteous man". He is righteous because he not only knows God's law but also its purpose and because he lives it. He knows that the law is to form the person in the ways of God. The Pharisees also know the law, but they manipulate it for their own benefit. Saint Oscar Romero once said: “The law is like a snake; it only stings those with bare feet.”  In the gospels the Pharisees use the law to exploit the poor.

Joseph is living the law even when he thinks of divorcing María. The two have contracted marriage but have not lived together. So when Joseph finds out that Maria is pregnant, he knows that he did not father the baby. Because it is possible that there was adultery, Joseph wants to take advantage of the part of the law that allows divorce. In this way he would show respect for the institution of marriage. But he would do it "in secret," that is, without a trial. Once again, Joseph shows himself to be righteous.  If a trial discovered that it was not adultery but rape, Maria would be unnecessarily subjected to public disapproval.

When the angel appears to him, Joseph continues to show himself as righteous. He does not delay for a moment to fulfill God’s will. He takes Mary to her house, and when her baby is born, he names it "Jesus." To understand the significance of these acts, we need to know something of the customs of first century Judaism. At that time the man who names the child was considered the legal father of the child. It is important that Joseph of David's lineage named the son of Mary so that he too is a descendant of David, Israel's greatest king. In the Old Testament God promised David that he would have a descendant whose kingdom would last forever. Now Jesus can assume this office.

The name "Jesus" also has transcendent meaning. It means, "The Lord saves." It is appropriate for Jesus because he is going to save not only his people but also the whole world from sin. Matthew gives us an indication of this universal salvation when the wise men come from afar to adore the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. At the end of the gospel, Jesus will send his apostles throughout the earth to announce salvation in Christ Jesus.

But another, even more important name is given to Jesus, and it also has to do with his lineage. In the first reading Isaiah tells the king of Judah: “Listen, O house of David! ... the virgin shall conceive bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel, that is, “God with us ”. This prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus in two ways. First, Mary conceives and gives birth to Jesus as a virgin. Jesus is also conceived by the action of the Holy Spirit who will always remain with him.

Meditating on the story of Jesus’ origins, we may wonder why we preoccupy ourselves with gifts and parties during this Advent season. Saint Matthew shows God's love for us not only by sending his son to us, but by something else almost as wonderful. Through Jesus Christ himself, God makes it possible for us to be even more righteous than Saint Joseph. We have the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to guide us. Even more important, Jesus has shared the Holy Spirit with us so that we always live his goodness and love.