4th Sunday of Advent

"I will deal with the people in a surprising and wondrous fashion."

These are the words of Advent. They are from God through the prophet Isaiah.
Speaking about what God will do, Isaiah goes on -

"He will come to save; the blind shall see, the deaf shall hear, the lame shall walk and the mute shall sing"

In Advent the world waits, in heart felt longing, yet joyful expectation, for the coming of  God's most wondrous and healing surprise.

And when this Holy Mystery does come, it takes on a very human face.

Rather, two faces - Mary and Joseph's. For surely our human identity, our face to the world so to speak, comes from those who have loved us, raised us, and taught us.

We rightly celebrate Mary's "yes" at the annunciation. It was a act of amazing openness and trust in God. But, today we celebrate that Joseph also said "yes" in amazing openness and trust in God. Both, Mary and Joseph said yes to God's will overcoming their own very understandable fears and uncertainties. Even their own hopes and dreams!

  The Gospel begins with masterful understatement simply saying of the mystery of the incarnation - this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

It begins with a visitation from a messenger from God, in the form of an angel, to two people promised in marriage.

In the gracious and mysterious moment of the annunciation Mary is over shadowed by the Holy Spirit, God's creative love, and as a result, she will be found with child.

Joseph we are told was a righteous man. A good man, a solid and upright man of his time and place. He like those around him took engagement and marriage very seriously. In first century Israel, marriage was more a social/ legal contract than a movement of the heart.  Of course, it was hoped for, that the heart would follow.

 The story begins with Mary and Joseph already betrothed (both committed to the binding promise between families).  Mary still remained with her family, protected and kept apart in a women's world while Joseph would visit her, chaperoned, of course.

We must never forget that Mary and Joseph did not live in some rarefied holy world that we might see on a Christmas card. They lived in the tangled and messy world of small town life, including the dynamics of family honor and shame, hurtful gossip and  wounded pride. They lived within the tensions and complexities of family life. And they lived in a world bound by the social norms of the Torah.

In the midst of all this only Mary knew of the Angel's visit and she was silent.

When Mary is found with child, before the marriage ceremony, there was trouble.

Certainly within the families tongues begin to wag and fingers began to point.
This was serious business. Because, the penalty of infidelity could mean death by stoning.
Joseph (or his family) could demand the full measure of the law so their honor would be upheld. But, there was a lesser penalty - divorce, which was a written legal notice breaking off the promise. This would still bring shame to the family, but at least not the death of a daughter.

Of course, Joseph was stunned by the turn of events, but self-centered pride did not puff him up to be vindictive. For Joseph stoning was a bit much.

Even in choosing the lesser penalty the term "quietly" indicates the true measure of his character. To many quietly divorcing was not necessarily reasonable, but it was kind.

 Yet, Joseph was soon to learn that even this kindness was not God's way.

 In the depth of the night, as this good man slept a troubled sleep there was a moment of Grace (described as a dream). The angel of the Lord, a messenger from God, appeared to him and said,

“Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her."

I can imagine him tossing and turning as this unexpected and troubling dream continued

"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus (that is Savior), because he will save his people from their sins.”

This was clearly a prophetic announcement and in his half-sleep there must of been confusion and doubt, as Joseph tries to wrap his sleepy head around the words of the angel. But, along with God's message comes God's gift of wisdom and so as dawn approached there was also a new awakening of trust.

Morning found Joseph in his right mind. And now for the first time he began to understand Mary and I image for the first time - he really loved her.

And in this new love he defied everything that told him to do otherwise and he took Mary into his home.  And the rest is the Paschal Mystery.

 With today's Gospel in mind I leave you with one thought on this 4th Sunday of Advent.

A prophecy is fulfilled aided by the "yes" of two, very human, people.
The unknowable and transcendent God comes in a "surprising and wondrous fashion. He comes small, weak and vulnerable but, most of all - he comes to be loved within a family.   Come, Lord Jesus, Come!