December 18, 2020
Friday of the Third
Week of Advent
Lectionary: 194
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
R.
(see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for
ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Leader of the
House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us
with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
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Faith Grows in the Spirit of Hospitality
In today's Gospel reading, we see Joseph receiving Mary into his home. "Receive" is a wonderful word for how God wants to relate to us - he's very welcoming. He is the Spirit of Hospitality.
Consider the circumstances in which Joseph made the decision to be hospitable to Mary. Of course he loved her, but her out-of-wedlock pregnancy would have many ramifications. The townspeople and religious authorities wouldn't believe Mary's story about how this child had been conceived. If anyone condemned Joseph for overlooking Mary's "sin", he could lose his good reputation in the synagogue. As a carpenter who supported his family through his business, he probably also felt concerned about losing customers.
By law, Mary could be stoned to death. The whole situation was probably very disheartening for him. Surely he felt betrayed. Surely he was unhappy about ending their marriage commitment, although he gladly did it in order to save her from death and to free her to marry the baby's father.
However, after prayerfully discerning that he should receive her into his home and accept a "sinner" as his wife, choosing to raise her illegitimate child as his own, how comfortable did he feel about it? Surely he wondered what this would do to his community status and financial security. And how would his decision change his plans for the future?
He gained courage from the angel in his dream who confirmed Mary's story, but still he had to choose between committing himself to a future that was unlike any he had anticipated and protecting the familiar and safe life that he'd been living and planning.
Jesus comes to all of us in unexpected ways that challenge the comfortable and familiar patterns of our lives. Growing in faith involves accepting God's disconcerting surprises.
The Spirit of Hospitality challenges us more often than we like to admit. Jesus sometimes comes to us in people we least feel like being hospitable to. Remember the warning that Jesus gave in Matthew 25: "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me." How well do you receive him when he comes as a pesky relative or an irritating ex-spouse?
A few years ago when I was writing on this theme for another occasion, my concentration was interrupted by a long, loud blare of a garbage truck's horn. The truck could not drive past my house, because the street was blocked by my car and a moving van for the neighbors. I felt embarrassed. I felt insulted (blaring horns sound so rude). And I felt like saying something rude to the sanitation employee who glared at me as I moved my car.
Jesus had come to me in an unexpected way. By the grace of God, I smiled at the man instead of opening my mouth. At that moment, I received Jesus.
To grow stronger in faith, watch for Jesus to appear in the form of people who are risky to care for or who trigger inhospitable feelings. You will meet him many times today. Welcome him.
Today's Prayer
My Lord and my God, empower me to listen to Your angels' guidance, and help me to be willing to follow their advice. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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