4th Sunday in Advent 2013 Cycle A

4th Sunday in Advent 2013 Theme: Mary’s ‘YES’ “GOD WITH US” 1st Reading Isaiah 7:10-14 “Emmanuel” God with us foretold. 2nd Reading Rom 1:1-7 Christ in Faith grants grace and peace. Gospel Mt 1:18-24 Mary’s Child is Emmanuel ‘God is with us’. Christ’s birth is the fulfillment of many prophesies of Old Testament. A new dimension of revelation has unfolded to us after the expectant wait for the Messiah. All three readings indicate a reenactment of an extra ordinary event in salvation history. Salvation history is a drama. A Drama of God’s immense love for you & me. He created us. In creating he had a wonderful act of giving us his own image. We tarnished this God image, by disobedience. Isaiah fore-tells what a virgin will bring forth. A male child. She will name him Emmanuel. The meaning, ‘God is with us’. What a tremendous miracle. We human beings are able to live along with God. Who has come to be with us by the fiat of Mary who too was, waiting for the Messiah. Only she could discern the event so easily. She was always in the presence of the Lord. When the real invitation came, she knew it would have such a disastrous repercussions on her character. Once she knew it was God’s will she willingly accepted. Mary said, “I am the hand maid of the lord, let it be done according to your word.” We as chosen people have lived three weeks of preparation for the Lord. Our waiting is coming to an end. We have to respond to the grace of our Masters’ entry into this world. When we witness this event on Christmas. Our patient waiting has to emerge into a tremendous hope. When I meet you and others, to wish ‘Happy Christmas’ this wishing, will not just be words, but an expression of our intimate encounter with the Lord. The acceptance of Mary as the mother of Emmanuel brings another complication in the person of Joseph. He becomes aware of this mysterious birth. Though he is aware of this he does not want to put Mary to any inconvenience. So quietly as any human being wants to just bring this whole issue to a very quiet end. Then God intervenes in his life and tells him to accept Mary as his wife and bring Jesus up as his son. Once he becomes aware of the sublime event, he obeys to God’s command and goes ahead. It would make him a laughing stalk in the eyes of society. But now he is willing to face the music. What a tremendous faith???? We hardly have seen a person of such integrity and personality, giving up his own will to submit to the will of some one else???? Let us now meditate on the great event as we get ready to welcome Christ in a few days time. We have indeed begun the novena for the great event. Don’t we participate in novenas of any kind? This novena of inviting Jesus as a baby in our life must allow us to become like little children? We can stand in wonder at the mystery of our salvation. We live this wonder in faith as people called to witness to the faith. We will do so this courageously and lovingly. Wishing all a happy Sunday in the fourth week in Advent. Yours ever in the divine word, Fr,. Juze Vas svd