Pause

“He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’ ” - St. Bernardine of Siena

First Reading: IS 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:  Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:  the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,  and shall name him Emmanuel.

Responsorial Psalm: PS 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading : ROM 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness  through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,  to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel: MT 1:18-24

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 conceive 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.

Reflection 
By Pam Manzano

As Joseph was about to divorce Mary because she conceived even before they were married, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and brought the good news.

Many times in our lives, we are faced with decisions we may be too reluctant to take. We often take too many things into consideration that leaves us more confused than before. Joseph knew none of what are yet to happen except that they will name the child Jesus. He knew nothing of what might happen when Mary was found pregnant without a husband and yet, he chose to take her and obey the instructions handed down to him. He may be afraid but still he obeyed. 

We are reminded by today’s Gospel that when things get too overwhelming for us to take, pause. 

Pause when things get too fast. Pause when the noise of others drown our loudest cries for help. Pause when we are unsure of what decision to make. Pause even before we get angry. Pause before we start ruining our relationships. Pause even when we are too happy. Pause when we get too excited to jump into opportunities. Pause when our everyday lives get too complicated to handle. Pause when we are tired. Pause when we are sad. Pause when unsure. Pause.

When we stop for a while and try to look at things differently, we try to open ourselves up to what God wants for us. And He wants the best. Be still and in our silent moments, discern God’s will. Pray. Choose to trust, choose to love, choose to obey whatever God is telling us. It may not be the most comfortable choices for us, or the best way to take based on our perspective but it is only in faith that we can truly move forward towards His kingdom.


Practice the pause. Jump into the unknown if that is what our faith requires us to do. Learn how to listen, trust, and obey just as Joseph had done in today’s Gospel. If still unsure, remember what is written in Scripture: Emmanuel! God is with us!

Prayer

Thank You, Lord for being with us. We lift up to You those many moments when we seem to be in the dark. As Christmas gets nearer and nearer, teach us how to pause. We ask this through Jesus, our Emmanuel. Amen.

St Joseph, help us to prepare for Christmas.