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Download: 4th Sunday Advent

Reflection Question 3: Joseph listens to the message of the angel in a dream. Like Mary’s courageous Yes to the Angel, Joseph also says Yes to God’s will with similar courage despite many questions. Joseph is not the passive figure often portrayed. He wrestles with questions of law and faith. He submits to the invitation of prayer and listening to God. He chooses not to be afraid. He ensures the child is named Jesus and in doing so becomes the adoptive father and inserts Jesus into the ‘line of David’ (naming the child is also normally done by Jewish women). He takes Mary as his wife into his home. Joseph’s contribution to the Christmas drama and salvation is huge. What salvation story and drama is going on in my own life this Christmas? What does Joseph teach me?

Advent Story: The Kitten at Christmas. A Catholic couple were celebrating Christmas Eve. The wife invited her husband to Midnight mass, but he declined. He thought he would instead stay at home on this cold night, watch television, and they could have a christmas drink when she returned. His wife left early to attend christmas carols and shortly after he heard a noise at the front door. Opening the back door he noticed a cold and wet kitten. He reached toward it but it cried in fear and retreated further away. He pondered to himself how he could help comfort this poor kitten. He got some milk from the fridge, poured it into a plate, showed the kitten and placed it just inside the door. He hoped to welcome the kitten into the warm and dry room of his house. The kitten continued its crying. He tried again to reach out to it. But the kitten interpreted these actions fearfully and moved further away into the cold. As the man continued to ponder how he could truly communicate positively with this kitten it dawned on him that he would need to become like this kitten. Suddenly he realised what God had done. He jumped into his car to attend midnight mass and whispered to his wife: for the first time I’ve realised Christmas is God born among us in Jesus to help us!

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