This week, we are called to trust and be faithful. Waiting, waiting, patiently waiting for the
coming of Jesus, we are reminded in Sunday’s readings that our patience will
pay off with the birth of a Savior, God-with-us, Emmanuel.
First, there’s Ahaz, who is caught between his own royal
prophets and the (very different) message God’s prophet Isaiah brings him. You would think that Ahaz would like Isaiah’s
message: Ahaz’s dynasty will continue
when the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.
Ahaz simply has to trust… but he has a very hard time doing so.
Then, there’s Joseph, Matthew's Gospel.
Can you imagine being Joseph, betrothed to Mary, and learning that she
is – no thanks to you – pregnant? Just
think of the consternation such a revelation would have caused: Joseph has every right to end the relationship
then and there. Instead, approached by
an angel, Joseph decides to trust, to bring Mary into his home, and to raise
this child as his own. Thanks to Joseph,
Jesus fulfills the prophecy; he is in the
line of David, fully human, yet enters the world also as the king of glory (Psalm 24), fully divine, thanks to the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
As Paul tells the Romans, we are called to proclaim this
very thing: we are set apart for the gospel of God. But in order to know what this means, we have
to know him, Jesus, human and divine,
humble and anointed, descended from
David, Son of God in power. And we
have to trust – to be faithful, open
to the Spirit and its fire, the burning love of God. That love is about to burst into our
lives: will we Let the Lord enter? He is King
of Glory!
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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