Presence

Lord, I turn to you in the quiet of my heart. Help me to hear your still, small voice today.

First Reading

Jeremiah 23:5-8 NRSVue

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Therefore the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt,” but “As the Lord lives who brought out and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.” Then they shall live in their own land.

First Reading Reflection

People would have read this passage for years awaiting the coming of the Messiah. They knew he would come but did not know how or when. They thought he might be a warrior king at one time, but they knew he was the one who had saved them already (from slavery in Egypt) and would save them again definitively, leading them into a bright future. He would be “the Lord our Integrity” – the one who would keep his promises. Because of Jesus, we too want to be faithful to loved ones. We too want to be people who keep our promises in life – the sign of a life of integrity. Advent reminds us not only of the promises of God to us but of our promises to God, and to each other.

Gospel

Matthew 1:18-24 NRSVue

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.”

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife

Gospel Reflection

The Messiah came in an unexpected way. He came as a baby in the womb of a young virgin woman who was engaged to be married. He came as a baby conceived through the Holy Spirit. God still comes to us today in unusual and surprising ways: in a moment of unexpected grace in prayer; in the love and care of a stranger in difficult circumstances; in the beauty of a day otherwise filled with tears; in the words of Scripture that once confounded us, whose meaning suddenly becomes clear. God is with us even when we struggle, even in times of great adversity and testing of our faith, such as Joseph experienced. May this Advent journey give us the opportunity to open our eyes of faith to see the “angels” God sends us, and to hear their messages of truth, life and peace. Then we will be better prepared to recognise the special presence of the Lord when he comes to us at Christmas.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, I want to be a person of integrity. Help me to be consistent, faithful and true, in my relationship with you and in my relationships with others. Amen.