Dear People of God,
May the Lord give you grace and peace in the Holy Spirit. It is 18th December 2023. We reflect on Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7 and Matthew 1:18-25.
As we enter the fourth week of the Advent, we are assured that God-is-with-us, Emmanuel. We light the fourth candle called candle of love. God is love.
The question is: Are we with God? Whom do we rely on? Are we resisting or persisting in God’s plan?
“Let the lord enter; he is the king of glory.” We are much closer to God than ever before as we approach the manger of Christ.
“The young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”
It is better to approach God, believe God, and ask for a sign. Even if you refuse the offer, God will go ahead with God’s plan. Would we be part of it
St. Paul affirms that the Son of God came among us human.
Look up to Joseph
We reflect this week about the nearness of God through Jesus and the mystery of incarnation in the prophecy of Isaiah and fulfilled in the Gospel. Jesus is the promised Messiah
There are three people who were asked to collaborate with the plan of salvation . King of Judah Ahaz, who flatly refused the offer of salvation; St. Paul who heisted initially to accept and St. Joseph, who followed God’s instruction to execute the plan proposed by God through virginal birth.
Joseph, and Mary cooperated with God.
God’s plans are greater than our petty programmes. Our life without the Word of God is weird and wavered.
Our plans and proposals for life seem to suppress the flow of God’s plan in our life.
God consistently assuring us that God is with us in every minute details of our life.
Fourth week of advent invites us to enter a peak moment of prayer. Will we allow God to have God’s way?
We have been Looking back, and looking forward (Parousia) for the past three weeks, we are invited to look into ourselves to create a space that is due for God.
In Mathew – Joseph and in Luke – Mary takes precedence in the infancy narrative.
God wants to meet us.
“Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my hands.” (Is.49:15).
Joy comes whenever God meet us.
“All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (Mt.1:24).
May the Lord help us to believe that the Lord is with us. The risen Lord Jesus promised His disciples, “I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mt. 28:20). May God bless you.