HOMILY 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR A
JOSEPH GETS A RARE GO IN THE FRONT LINE!
Mt 1.18-24 Is 7.10-14 Rom 1.1-7
Our world has changed. It has been a shocking week, where tragedy has struck at the heart of our society, 15 innocent people losing their lives and many others seriously injured. It is difficult to understand the depth of hatred, and total disrespect for human life, reflected in this atrocity.
I quote 92 year old Andrew Caro, who sums it up well: “The politicisation of this appalling massacre is not surprising, although extremely disappointing, Rising antisemitism is a worldwide phenomenon, often attributed to events in Gaza. But the massacre in Bondi was carried out by two lone wolves, already radicalised befor the war in Gaza… Blaming the government simply furthers the aim of the perpetrators to creat chaos and disunity in our society. We need all political, religious and community groups to join together in dealing with terror and hate speech, wherever it appears. We need a united national response; we need to identify the right enemy.”
Out of the darkness of the tragedy, there was Ahmed al Ahmed, a Muslim man, an immigrant from Syria, who wrestled the rifle from one of the gunmen, at obvious risk of his own life, and who was seriously injured in the aftermath. Yet, on social media, immediately, there were false comments about him being a Christian from Lebanon, to counter the fact he was, in fact, a Muslim, and a decent human being, trying to save lives, acting bravely, on the spur of the moment.
We live in a multicultural society, where we should rejoice in diversity, with respect and mutual understanding of each other’s differences. The way in which misinformation or fake truth is just blindly accepted reflects a very dark side of media in general. The blurring of fact and fiction is a real worry today. We need to check the facts before believing something just because it is said, or because it suits our own thinking or prejudices, conscious or unconscious! Nor is it right to say “God is on our side”, as God cannot be contained or limited, and as the God of all of humanity and Creation, God is the God of us all, if we turn to him in faith.
Journalist and author Ronni Salt writes in an insightful article, headed “Don’t look back in anger”: “Ugly and tangled. Stupid and confusing. That is where we are… Be angry about the senseless loss. Be heartbroken. Be despairing. Be grief-stricken. Be compassionate. Look for the real leaders… The majority of Australians reject antisemitism… The majority of Australians are peaceful. .. Religious extremism is evil. Hatred creates more hatred and violence creates more violence. It was ever thus. Tragedy can be like that.” We hope for a better world, and try to do our little bit to contribute to that by who we are and what we do, as Christians and as good human beings.
Now Matthew has a fascinating introduction to today’s Gospel, with the generations of salvation history detailed (and neatly divided into 14’s), from Abraham (ca 1800 BC) to David (1000BC), and finally to Jesus, with some very interesting names in between (my favourites being Amminadab, Salmon, Rehoboam, Jehoshaphat and Zerubbabel!!), but with only a few women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba) mentioned along the way!
Joseph is a shadowy figure in the Gospels, but today Matthew highlights a good and decent man, who accepts the mystery of it all, whereas Luke focuses on Mary, and so they proceed with the only comfort being they are doing God’s Will, in working together to support each other and have this promised child, agreeing to act outside the customs of the time and move in faith, stepping out into the unknown future, as we are all called to do, believing “God is with us”, incarnate through Jesus.
Brendan Byrne SJ says: “Joseph ‘models’ keeping the Law in the way that Jesus will commend, giving priority to values such as forgiveness, mercy and compassion (the weightier matters of the Law.”
Today’s first reading tell us much about looking to the future with hope, although our Advent theme for the 4th Sunday is love. Clearly, that is reflected in Mary’s response of “Let It Be”, and then in Joseph’s willingness to take her as his wife, after initial and understandable hesitation. He is portrayed as a just man, full of compassion from the start, as he is unwilling to expose Mary publicly, and subject her to prescribed penalties for her situation, before he steps forward in faith, as she already has.
Says my friend Claude Mostowik MSC: “Though Advent is concluding, it is not really a singular event, but calls us, like Joseph, to be ready for unexpected, often unhoped for, change. It is always happening, it is continually embodied, incessantly incarnated, by reaching across the generations, to push us to rembody God’s love, peace, compassion in today’s troubled times… Advent is to offer ourselves… to be on earth the heart of God, by embodying in large and small ways, the peace, love and compassion of our God.”
In the midst of it all, then we move into our season of love, peace and goodwill, hoping for a better world in 2026, with that spirit of Christmas overcoming the darkness of hatred and fear!
john hannon SUMMER SOLSTICE 21st December 2025