Breaking Open the Word - 4th Sunday of Advent, Year A
4th Sunday of Advent, Year a - December 18th, 2022
He is coming! This refrain re-echoes in the Church’s liturgy throughout the Advent season, but during this final week before Christmas, the expectant Bride of Christ redoubles her enthusiastic expectation. The readings for this Sunday focused in a special way on the First Coming of Christ – the Incarnation – and how God prepared the way for His Son to enter into human history.
The Dream of St. Joseph by Anton Raphael Mengs
We began our Scripture sharing with the Gospel, which gives St. Matthew’s account of the “Annunciation to Joseph.” One Sister, reflecting on the way the Angel called Joseph “Son of David,” suggested an intriguing connection with the Psalms. In Ps. 132:3-5, David vows that “I will not … lie on the bed where I rest; I will give no sleep to my eyes, to my eyelids I will give no slumber, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.” However, the King was not able to achieve his dream of building the house of the LORD: it was only in the reign of his son Solomon that the Temple was constructed. In contrast to David, Joseph is asleep when he receives God’s message to “take Mary” – and therefore the Incarnate LORD she was bearing – “into your home.” In this sense, humble Joseph the carpenter fulfilled the longing of his forefather David … he literally provided “a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob”! Sister saw the contrast between these two stories as a reminder of an age-old truth: it is God, not us, who takes the initiative. Our desires and efforts are important, of course, but they can only bear fruit if they find their origin and fulfillment in God’s desires and efforts.
Another Sister shared about the First Reading, when God declares to King Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God!” God is eager to prove His love for us and nearness to us. He is more solicitous for our salvation and happiness than we ourselves are! Yet very often it is we who put limits on God, as Ahaz does in this reading. Fear of disappointment, feelings of unworthiness, or even just plain laziness can make us hesitate to ask great things of God. While it’s true that He may not always give us what we think is best, He is ready to give us so many more and so much better gifts than we could dream of. There is nothing to lose! All He asks is our trusting openness to His salvific Will. In union with Our Lady’s fiat, we can pray the words of the Psalm refrain: “Let the LORD enter! He is King of Glory!”
“Help Your servant, Lord. With trust in the Word of your Gospel, she has given you her faith.”
Finally, we discussed the Second Reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. A Sister shared how she was struck by the connection between call and grace. Paul refers to both himself and the recipients of his letter as “called” by God, and in parallel he speaks of the graces both have received or will receive. We could say that the terms “called” and “graced” are almost interchangeable! In the area of vocational discernment, this truth is often stated as follows: if God is giving you a vocation to a particular state in life, then He will give you the graces you need to live it. A seemingly simple bit of advice, perhaps, but a deeply consoling truth when we think about it more deeply. God does not ask us to do the impossible; when the mission He has given us seems to much for our strength, He is there to supply for our weakness with His grace. Many people in all walks of life could share stories of how they felt God supporting and carrying them most strongly when they themselves were “at the end of their rope.” The supreme examples of this, of course, are the martyrs. God’s grace came to their aid so powerfully that they were able even to lay down their lives for Him.
What’s more, this truth doesn’t just apply to big decisions like martyrdom or which state of life to embrace. It also comes into play in the duties we face each and every day in living our Christian calling. How different would our life be if we sought to face these daily challenges – large and small – with the knowledge that it doesn’t all depend on us? How much would our inner peace grow if we knew that God was waiting to offer the help of His grace in every situation?