We often romanticize the Christmas story. We think of the silent night, the calm stars, and the peaceful manger. But if we look closely at t...
Imagine Joseph’s week. He is betrothed to Mary. The house is ready; the furniture is built. He has a reputation as a "righteous man"—a man who follows the rules, pays his taxes, and goes to Synagogue. His life is mapped out. And then, he receives news that shatters his world: Mary is pregnant, and the child is not his.
In an instant, everything Joseph worked for is threatened. His heart is broken, and his honor is at stake. This brings us to our first word for today: PLAN.
The Plan. We all have plans. We plan our careers, our retirements, our families, and our holidays. We even plan our relationship with God—"I will pray at this time, I will go to Mass on this day." Plans give us a sense of control. They make us feel safe.
Joseph had a plan. When he discovered Mary’s pregnancy, his plan was to mitigate the damage. The Gospel tells us he resolved to "divorce her quietly." This was a sensible, mercy-driven, human plan. He was trying to solve a Divine mystery with human logic. He was trying to clean up a mess.
How often do we do this? When life throws us a curveball—a diagnosis we didn't expect, a job loss we didn't foresee, or a family conflict we didn't start—we immediately retreat to our "Plan B." We try to fix it. We try to manage the situation quietly.
But notice what happens in the Gospel. Just as Joseph resolves to execute his plan, God interrupts him. God sends a dream. He essentially says, "Joseph, put down your plan. I have something else in mind."
The message of the 4th Sunday of Advent is uncomfortable: God is often found in the interruption of your plans. If you are sitting here today frustrated because life isn't going the way you thought it would, pay attention. That frustration might just be the space where God is trying to enter.
The Promise. Once Joseph’s plan is halted, the angel gives him something to stand on. He doesn't give Joseph a map; He gives him a PROMISE.
The angel quotes the ancient scripture we heard in our first reading from Isaiah: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son."
This is crucial. In the first reading, King Ahaz refused to trust the promise. He wanted to rely on his own political alliances. But Joseph is different. Joseph is a man who knows the Promise of God.
St. Paul, in our second reading to the Romans, speaks of the "obedience of faith." This is what Joseph demonstrates. The "obedience of faith" isn't just believing that God exists; it is acting on God’s promise even when it looks risky.
The Promise was this: Do not be afraid.
Joseph’s fear was reasonable. He was afraid of scandal, afraid of the unknown, afraid of being inadequate to raise the Son of God. But the Promise of God is always stronger than the fear of man.
The angel invites Joseph to trade his logic for God’s logic. He asks Joseph to bet his entire life on a word spoken in a dream. And because Joseph is a man of the Promise, he wakes up and does exactly that.
The Presence. So, Joseph abandons his Plan and trusts the Promise. And what is the result? It is our third word: PRESENCE.
The child’s name reveals the result of Joseph’s obedience: Immanuel, which means "God is with us."
This is the ultimate goal of Advent. It isn't just to celebrate a birthday from 2,000 years ago. It is to experience the Presence of God in the messy, unplanned reality of our lives now.
If Joseph had stuck to his plan—if he had divorced Mary quietly—he would have remained a "righteous man," respected by his neighbors. But he would have missed out on holding the Son of God in his arms. He would have missed the Presence.
Sometimes, we hold on so tight to how we think our lives should look that we squeeze God right out of them. We want the "perfect" Christmas. We want the "perfect" family gathering. And when things go wrong—when the turkey burns, or the kids fight, or we feel lonely—we think we have failed.
But the Gospel tells us that God enters through the cracks. He comes into the confusion. Jesus didn't come to a palace; He came to a couple in the middle of a scandal. He came to a man who was willing to let his life be turned upside down.
As we enter this final week of Advent, I invite you to look at these three words in your own life.
The Plan: What is the thing you are trying so hard to control right now? What is the interruption that is frustrating you?
The Promise: Can you hear God speaking into that fear? Can you hear Him saying, "Do not be afraid, I am doing something new here"?
The Presence: Are you willing to let go of your picture-perfect expectations to receive the God who is actually with you?
Joseph "did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him." He woke up, he took Mary into his home, and he welcomed the Savior.
This week, let us be like Joseph. Let us be willing to wake up from our own small plans, to trust the ancient Promise, and to open the doors of our hearts to the overwhelming, healing Presence of Immanuel.
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