Padre"s Post for Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent. In Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 1, we hear how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. Take a closer look at the words fulfilled by the Lord through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel. With this prophecy coming to light, Joseph finds himself in a precarious situation. Mary is pregnant, and he is not the father. Through the words of an angel, Joseph takes Mary as his wife and raises Jesus as his own.

The gift of Christmas, the Word made flesh among us, shows us the great gift of love that God shares with us in the gift of his Son. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. His birth in Bethlehem is the greatest gift humanity has received. Jesus, born from the house of David, comes to save people from their sins.

The angel told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife and that the baby in her womb is from the Holy Spirit. Joseph was told to name him Jesus. The name Jesus means God saves. Isaiah said the child would be called Emmanuel, which means "God with us." The Evangelists made it clear throughout the New Testament that they knew Jesus was the long-anticipated Messiah. In Hebrew, Messiah is the word used for "Anointed One," equivalent to the Greek word Christos.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, The Father's only Son, conceived as man in the womb of the Virgin Mary, is "Christ", that is to say, anointed by the Holy Spirit, from the beginning of his human existence, though the manifestation of this fact takes place only progressively: to the shepherds, to the magi, to John the Baptist, to the disciples. Thus the whole life of Jesus Christ will make manifest "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power." (CCC 486) 

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas together, let us not forget the spiritual ground we have rediscovered during the quiet days of Advent. Advent is a time for us to return to the basics of our Catholic faith. To be Catholic is to be countercultural, not afraid of silence, watchful in prayer, and a life of sacrificial giving – helping others along the way. Being familiar with quiet prayer, contemplation, wonder and reverence rooted in 2000 years of scripture and tradition allows us to gather in our churches in prayer and to exalt in praise and worship as we honor the birth of the author of life and the source of salvation, Jesus Christ. The Savior has been born on Christmas. I pray that you can find peace in the silent and holy night and join the song of the angels this Christmas, a perfect moment in time to be glad and rejoice no matter your situation. A Blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones.

I look forward to praying with you throughout the 12 days of Christmas.