Reflection for 4th Sunday of Advent Year A
(Is 7:10-14, Rm 1:1-7, Mt 1:18-24)
The Sign
Judah was being
invaded by Syria and Ephraim. Ahaz seemed to have made up his mind to align
with Assyrians, their long time enemy in order to survive. Isaiah came to
reassure him that God will not allow the City of David to be taken over, and
the Davidic dynastic truncated. He persuaded King Ahaz to ask for a sign that
God will deliver Judah. The King was adamant. Then the Prophet himself gave him
a sign from the Lord: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and
shall call his name Immanuel.” Thus, the virgin birth became an immediate and
concrete sign of the coming of the Messiah.
Obedience of Faith
Despite
assurances from Prophet Isaiah, King Ahaz allowed fear to rule his life. He refused
to submit to messianic prophecy. He took refuge in Assyria and served their
gods (2 kg 16:5-18). But now that we have the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is
God-with-us, “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring
about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name…” (Rm 1:5). Total
submission or total surrender is required of us since God has given His all to
be ‘with us.’ He is here! His grace impels us from within such that our free
choice reflects our choice for the Messiah, and our being with Him. Obedience of faith is the free submission to
what is proposed in faith because its truth is guaranteed by God Himself.[1]
Example of this seen in Abraham, St Joseph, The Blessed Virgin Mary, etc, and the
Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of obedience of faith.
Fear
Not
The Gospel of
today opened up certain events leading up to the birth of Jesus. One would
expect such most holy birth to be surrounded with serene and peaceful
circumstances. But immediately a crisis situation of introduced. Joseph had
hard times believing that Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit. He feared the
consequences thereof for himself and for Mary especially. A divorce was
imminent. It was similar to the crisis situation Ahaz found himself before
Isaiah approached him.
Joseph was
consumed by thinking; he was worn-out by reflection. The unfolding scenario was
completely opposite of all that he planned and hoped for. Judging from his
human and ‘righteous’ mind, he made the hard choice! Still, fear surrounded
every step he humanly judged to be fair. Suddenly, and an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary
your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Yes, Joseph was
asked to surrender even his most righteous thoughts to the plan of God. In so
doing, he became part of the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy of which the
sign of the ‘virgin mother’ was its immediate realization. “When Joseph woke
from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” His fears disappeared
and he regained confidence. Obedience of faith conquers fear.
‘He will save His People’
God who created
out of nothing can bring order from chaos. The Son of God came forth within the
internal crisis and struggle of Joseph and Mary, and the external
socio-political tension at that time. Our weaknesses and failings cannot
truncate God’s design, but He demands our cooperation and participation through
obedience of faith. The fact that God’s salvation in Christ Jesus shines out
despite the internal and external crisis around us, is itself a guarantee of
victory over every difficulty we encounter. This is the great hope of
Christmas, that He will surely save us only if we cooperate through obedience
of faith.
Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church,
Abule-Oshun, Lagos..
Sunday, December 21, 2019.
