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| St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour |
Holy Redeemer
In the care of the Ecumenical Franciscan Order
Homily, 29th December 2013, Fourth Sunday in Advent, delivered by Br Simeon EFO.
Gospel: Mt 1: 18-24
"
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it"
Advent
is running out of time and Christmas is almost upon us. The readings invite us
to step aside for a while from the hustle and bustle of the world to reflect on
the events leading up to that first night in Bethlehem some two thousand years
ago. Matthew views the story of the birth of Jesus through the eyes of Joseph
and gives us a remarkable insight into his personality. The ideal that Jesus
expressed when he said ‘Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it’
was deeply challenged when Joseph learned the news that Mary, his betrothed,
was pregnant. There was nothing straightforward about this situation since they
had not been living together as husband and wife. It was traumatic news and
Joseph wondered how this could be. Faced with such a real dilemma and a crisis
of intimacy, he felt cheated, embarrassed, hurt, and left out. As he struggled
with this extraordinary happening, his heart must have been heavy and his
dreams shattered. However he did not act rashly but responded to the situation
with a generous and open heart.
Afraid,
confused and unsure he prepared his course of action and made a lonely
decision. Being an honourable and upright man of God, he planned to act quietly
and chose a way that would shield Mary from scorn and save her from public
embarrassment. But before he put his plan into action Joseph was taken into
confidence by the appearance of God’s messenger who came in a dream to explain
Mary’s uprightness and the divine origin of the baby. Joseph listened to God’s
word and through the angel’s message allowed his life to be influenced and
directed to God’s will and acted accordingly. As head of the household Joseph
had the specific role of naming the child. Moved by God’s inner prompting, he
accepted Mary as his wife and adopted her child as his own.
There wasn't much that was comfortable and cosy about Joseph’s decision to hear and
obey the word of God. He was what we would describe as an ordinary working
class man called on to respond to God’s extraordinary plan. Like any parent he
had to cope with the same fears, worries and bitter disappointments that come
to every home. His relationship with God must have been close because in this
time of crisis he trusted God’s word and co-operated with God in a decisive
manner. Anguished he may have been and he may not have understood all that was
happening, but he had come to realise that the hand of God was in everything,
taking care of all things and he put his trust in this power. He was open to
the Spirit at work in his soul and ready to turn his life upside down each time
he heard God’s call.
We
can learn from this aspect of his character how to respond to God who
communicates with us in the challenging situations of life. Nowadays, the vast
majority of people are unaware of the religious significance of Christmas. They
view it as a break from work in the wilds of mid-winter. It is our destiny to
live in a world of unbelief and confusion where difficulties arise at every turn.
With God’s help Joseph got it right and so will we. Once we believe like Joseph
and humbly surrender to God, there is no limit to what he can achieve in our
own very ordinary lives. Christmas is a time for remembering and showing
gratitude to those people who helped us out during the year. Let’s not forget
to show them the recognition that they deserve.
The
basis of our Christmas hope is that not only is there a God who made the
heavens and the earth but he is here with us now in the flesh offering us peace
and reconciliation. We all have something unresolved in our lives that quietly
eats away at us, disturbing our peace and our ability to show true love for
others. As we approach this great feast of Christmas can we say like Joseph
that we are ready to rely on God’s help and guidance when we sorely need to be
reconciled to another family member? Joseph’s silent presence in the gospel is
a testimony of God’s great love for all the poor, humble and just people down
through the ages, who are quietly faithful to trusting and relying on God in
good times and in bad. As Jesus said ‘Blessed are those who hear the word of
God and keep it.’
Amen.
