Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Today's Readings

Reflection:  Each week during Advent, we have watched our world slowly being brightened with the lighting of each candle.  On the last Sunday of Advent, we finally lit the last candle on our wreath that we had patiently been waiting to light.  As we look at these four candles, brightly lit, we are invited to reflect on how this light takes away some of the darkness of our world as we welcome the bright Light of the World next week on Christmas.

 

It is too easy to give up hope when others around us try to extinguish our light.  The prophet Isaiah, in our first reading, asks the question: “Is it enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God?” Ahaz, at that time, had given up hope and felt that God had given up on him as well.  You can almost hear the frustration in Isaiah’s voice as he asks the question.  He reminds Ahaz that God has not given up on him and there is hope, and that hope will come in the sign from God: “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”  

 

In Sunday’s Gospel, we heard the story of how Jesus’ birth came about.  When Joseph found out that Mary was with child, he decided to divorce her quietly to protect her from shame.  Can you imagine the weariness that Joseph must have felt at that moment, enough so that he was willing to give up the hope of his life with Mary? When the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, imagine hearing the message being delivered with the same tone as Isaiah to Ahaz – don’t be afraid, God is right here in this, Mary will bear a son, you will name him Jesus, and this will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”  Again, we hear a message of hope.

 

As we look at the hope that the Incarnation brings, perhaps we are being called to look at our own lives and situations.  Have we, like Ahaz, given up hope? Or, like Joseph, does fear of an unknown future tempt us to give up hope and separate ourselves from a situation by bringing it to completion? That is too easy to do. When we give up hope, we begin to weary not only others but God.  Let us look to the future, brightly lit by the gift of the Incarnation, and remember that God is with us and if we truly believe, then we can do the hard work that needs to be done and no longer give up.  We know that God, through the Incarnation, has not given up on us.  Let us look at the brightness of the four candles on the Advent wreath, remember that God is with us, and let us stop wearying each other and God by embracing a future filled with abundant hope!

  

Prayer: Most High Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart with your radiant light.  Give me true faith that I may not need to see in order to believe, certain hope in the promise of a future, and perfect charity to embrace all in your love.  Give me sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out your holy and true command to believe in a future filled with abundant hope.  

Brother Joseph Bach, O.S.F.

Director of Vocations

Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn