COLLECT: “POUR FORTH, WE BESEECH YOU, O LORD, YOUR GRACE INTO OUR HEARTS, THAT WE, TO WHOM THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST YOUR SON WAS MADE KNOWN BY THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL, MAY BY HIS PASSION AND CROSS BE BROUGHT TO THE GLORY OF HIS RESURRECTION. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Is 7:10-14; Ps 23:1-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24
“LORD, LET ME NOT BE A HEADSTRONG PERSON, BUT A HUMBLE, UPRIGHT AND A GOD-FEARING PERSON” OR, “UNLESS YOUR FAITH IS FIRM, YOU CANNOT BE FIRM”.
All three readings for this Sunday concern faith, of course, with an alert or a warning that “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not, and cannot be firm. When I am confronted with difficulties, trials and challenges, how strong is my faith? Unlike the unbelief of Ahaz, the strong faith and trust of Mary and Joseph are commended and are worthy of emulation.
Going forward, today’s scriptures present us with two contrasting personalities: Ahaz and Joseph, respectively. AHAZ stands for a life in which one plays the ‘holier than thou’, behaving as if a good person, not wanting to disturb, bother or worry God. But in actual fact, such an attitude is clouded with mistrust and doubts about God. JOSEPH, on the other hand, represents a life* in which the individual trusts and has faith in God even when God throws in a few surprising challenges here and there.
Before Joseph and Mary came together as husband and wife, Mary was with a child. Culturally, among the Jews, such a woman should be exposed to public ridicule and even be stoned to death, especially since Joseph knew he was not responsible for Mary’s pregnancy.
Joseph was indeed, in a dilemma, in a fist. Joseph was a righteous man, a man who observed the Law of Moses. That Law entitled Joseph to either:
(a) repudiate his marriage agreement with Mary by signing a declaration to that effect in the presence of witnesses, but without stating his reasons in public.
(b) renounce Mary publicly and the punishment for her transgression would be to stone her to death.
Joseph was, however, not only a righteous man, but also an honest and just man and therefore, though he observed the Law of Moses, he had his own mind and so he looked at the human situation and the impending effects of his action. Joseph did not allow the Law to enslave him. He wanted to divorce Mary quietly or secretly and may have disappeared into a mystery beyond his comprehension.
However, this was not the mind of God and since Joseph was a just and an honest man, he had to listen to God. Therefore, a message from God came to him in a dream telling him not to be afraid to take Mary, his wife, into his home.
AHAZ, a headstrong young Davidic King of Judah, on the other hand, stands for a life built on trust in earthly and material things. Ahaz was weak and corrupt, not as honest and just as Joseph. He immolated his infant son by fire to the pagan god Moloch (II Kgs 16:3). At that time, Assyria’s armies could attack Judah at any time. On the one hand, the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Syria, though enemies, joined in a powerful coalition to attack Judah. Ahaz, therefore, was confused as to which side to turn to for help. Whichever way he turned, either to Assyria or Israel/Syria, could bring an end to his Kingdom’s independence.
It was at this moment that God sent Isaiah to speak to Ahaz and advise him not to turn to either of the two but to rely on God. Ahaz did not listen to Isaiah’s advice but said: “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!” He was playing the “holier than thou”, not to disturb or worry God at all.
These two personalities (Joseph and Ahaz) have great lessons for us to learn.
(i) Those who are just and honest and rely on God will always come out of trouble.
(ii) Sometimes, we have our ideas and we think that these are the best. Unfortunately, sometimes we do not even listen to God through prayer. God sometimes speaks to us through other people. Such people may suggest other brilliant ideas to us, and if we are like Ahaz, the headstrong King, we will ignore or snub them.
This can easily lead us into trouble and a mess. This can make people detest you, and it can hamper your work, as there will certainly be no cooperation from the people you work with. Such people will see you as a dictator and a tyrant. MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY LEADERS, HAVE FAILED, AND MORE WILL CONTINUE TO FAIL IN LIFE AND IN THEIR WORK BECAUSE THEY WERE/ARE HEADSTRONG. Please, avoid that.
Since we need to have our own minds, it is very important to be open to other people’s ideas and views, especially views from well-intentioned people, who God might be using to advise us. We should always pray to avoid peer group influence and wrong pieces of advice from relatives and friends.
Note that the good peer, good relative and good friend will always tell you the truth and advise you rightly, even if it does not ‘taste nice and sweet. Take care and learn to always give God a chance in whatever you do, even in your troubled times and moments. May you have a fruitful 4th Sunday of Advent. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SUNDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
PRAYER: “HAVING RECEIVED THIS PLEDGE OF ETERNAL REDEMPTION, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT, AS THE FEAST DAY OF OUR SALVATION DRAWS EVER NEARER, SO WE MAY PRESS FORWARD ALL THE MORE EAGERLY TO THE WORTHY CELEBRATION OF THE MAJESTY OF YOUR SON’S NATIVITY. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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