Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 22, 2019
Updated: Jan 9, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ:
Today we gather to celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Advent. As we light the last
candle of our Advent Wreath, and as we gather on the very heels of Christmas, our Gospel reading prepares us to witness Christ's birth by showing us how Jesus was recognized as Israel's long-awaited Messiah even before his birth.
Today the Gospel reading presents us with Saint Joseph as we contemplate the Incarnation. Joseph was a humble and obedient man, or better as the Gospel says “a righteous man.” Joseph spent his life providing for others, forsaking whatever dreams he might have had so that he could fulfill some greater dream, some greater calling. He
was human and flawed. He was probably, like us, prone to doubt. He likely experienced at some point in life the human conditions of selfishness, sin, and perhaps even anger. He spent a lot