Mỗi năm, vào Chúa nhật cuối cùng của Mùa Vọng, Giáo
hội đề xuất cho chúng ta những đoạn Kinh Thánh và bài đọc Tin Mừng trực tiếp
chuẩn bị chúng ta cho Mầu nhiệm Giáng sinh của Đấng Cứu Thế.
Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, tiên tri Isaiah kể cho
chúng ta câu chuyện về vua Ahaz, vua của xứ Judah. Khi Judah đang đối mặt với
cuộc xâm lược quân sự từ kẻ thù, trước nguy hiểm này, vua Ahaz và dân chúng trở
nên sợ hãi. Lúc đó, tiên tri Isaiah đến gặp Ahaz và khuyên nhà vua hãy bình
tĩnh và đừng sợ hãi vì cuộc tấn công sẽ không thành công. Sau đó, tiên tri
Isaiah đưa ra một dấu hiệu cho nhà vua ngay cả khi nhà vua từ chối yêu cầu.
Dấu hiệu đó là một người phụ nữ trẻ sẽ sinh một con
trai và đặt tên là ‘Emmanuel’, trong tiếng Do Thái có nghĩa là “Thiên Chúa ở
cùng chúng ta”. Mặc dù hình ảnh Emmanuel trong sách Isaiah không được trình bày
như một nhân vật messiah, nhưng ngài sẽ là một hoàng tử. Mặc dù triều đại tương
lai của ngài không được đề cập, nhưng điều chắc chắn là ngài sẽ là biểu tượng
của hy vọng trong sự yếu đuối, biểu tượng của sự sống mới giữa sự hủy diệt. Sự
ra đời của một đứa trẻ có lẽ là biểu tượng phổ quát và bền vững nhất về hy vọng
cho nhân loại.
Một đứa trẻ sơ sinh không gây ra mối đe dọa hay
xung đột. Một đứa trẻ là dấu hiệu của hy vọng cho một thế hệ mới. Bảy trăm năm
trước khi thiên thần Gabriel đến với Đức Trinh Nữ Maria, vua của xứ Judah đã
được cho biết cách Thiên Chúa sẽ thực hiện kế hoạch của Ngài để ở cùng dân Ngài
mãi mãi. Chỉ có Ahaz không muốn nhìn thấy và không muốn tin tưởng vào Thiên
Chúa.
Ngược lại hoàn toàn với Ahaz, Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy một ông Giuse, một người đàn ông đang đối mặt với một tình
thế khó xử. Ông đã đính hôn với một cô gái trẻ xinh đẹp và đang háo hức chờ đợi
thời điểm cô ấy sẵn sàng rời bỏ cha mẹ và trở thành vợ ông. Theo phong tục thời
đó, giai đoạn đầu tiên của hôn nhân đã diễn ra với cô
Maria khi còn rất trẻ. Đó là chỉ lễ đính hôn. Từ thời điểm đó, cô Maria là vợ ông, cho dù đã coi như thành hôn
nhưng hai người vẫn chưa sống chung, cô
vẫn sống với cha mẹ.
Hôn lễ sẽ được hoàn tất bằng lễ rước dâu và cô Maria sẽ về nhà ông Giuse khi đó họ sẽ có một bữa tiệc cưới linh đình.
Tiệc cưới sẽ là một bữa tiệc to lớn
lổi đình lổi đám đén cả tuần theo phong tục Do thái thời đấy. Trong
tiệc cưới họ sẽ nhảy múa và ăn mừng
cuộc sống mới của cặp đôi này và cuộc sống mới mà họ hy vọng sẽ mang đến cho
thế giới. Đối với ông Giuse, đó là một niềm vui lớn, nhưng rồi mọi
chuyện sụp đổ khi ông biết rằng cô Maria đã mang thai. Theo Tin mừng hôm nay nói rằng ông Giuse là một người
chính trực và công bình. Theo cách giải thích thông thường của luật pháp, ông
có thể tuyên bố rằng cô
Maria không chung thủy, phạm tội ngoại tình, và
khiến cô ấy sẽ bị ném đá và xử tử.
Trong thời đại của chúng ta, ở một số quốc gia,
chúng ta đã chứng kiến những ví dụ kinh tởm về việc người ta giết vợ, con gái
hoặc chị em gái của mình chỉ vì những lỗi nhỏ nhất về sự đoan trang, và nghĩ
rằng họ đang làm theo thánh
ý Chúa. ông Giuse có thể sẽ lên án đẻ mọi người chung quanh phán xét
cô Maria, nhưng ông là một người công bình.
Ông có mối quan hệ thực sự với Chúa. Ông không thể hiểu nổi tại sao Chúa lại
muốn cô Maria, một cô gái trẻ, phải chết. Ông chỉ muốn xa tránh cô và bỏ đi. Nghe lòi sứ thần dạy, ông Giuse đã mở lòng đón nhận ý muốn của Thiên Chúa. Và bởi vì ông đã mở lòng với Thiên Chúa trong cuộc sống của mình, bởi vì ông tin tưởng
vào Thiên Chúa hơn là những kế hoạch của riêng mình, ông Giuse đã có thể chứng kiến những việc kỳ diệu của tình yêu Thiên Chúa trong thế giới.
Không giống như vua Ahaz trong bài đọc thứ nhất, ông Giuse đã chọn con đường đức tin. Ông đã chọn đúng.
Cảm giác của ông Giuse khi ôm vii Vua trên các vị vua
trong vòng tay mình chắc hẳn như thế nào? Cảm giác của ông khi trải nghiệm Tình
yêu của Thiên Chúa hóa thành xác thịt trong Chúa Giêsu chắc hẳn
như thế nào? Cảm giác của ông khi sống với cô Maria, người hoàn
toàn trái ngược với những nỗi sợ hãi của ông Giuse, không phải
là một tội nhân, mà là người chưa bao giờ mắc tội chắc hẳn như thế
nào? Cảm giác của ông Giuse khi sống trong một ngôi nhà tràn đầy những sự kỳ diệu của Thiên Chúa chắc hẳn như
thế nào?
Bất cứ điều gì chúng ta nghĩ đến? Trở thành một người chồng và một người cha không phải là một nhiệm vụ dễ dàng đối với ông Giuse. Ông phải chăm sóc mẹ và con trong một hang động
tối tăm ở Bethlehem. Chúng ta biết rằng ông Giuse đã bảo vệ gia đình
mình, đưa mẹ và con lên lưng lừa, còn mình đi bộ, đưa họ đến Ai Cập để thoát
khỏi những âm mưu độc ác của Herod. Chúng ta biết rằng ông Giuse đã trở về Nazareth, nơi ông định cư cùng gia đình
và chăm sóc Chúa Giêsu trong thời thơ ấu, thậm chí còn dạy Ngài cách làm thợ
mộc.
Ông
Giuse chắc hẳn là một
người rất hạnh phúc, vì hạnh phúc được tìm thấy trong sự hiện diện của Chúa. ông Giuse là một hình mẫu đức tin cho chúng ta. Ông là một
nhân chứng trung thành và người phục vụ kế hoạch cứu chuộc của Chúa.
Chúng ta có sẵn sàng tin vào những lời hứa của
Chúa, ngay cả khi chúng ta phải đối mặt với những hoàn cảnh khó hiểu và những
vấn đề dường như không thể vượt qua? Thiên Chúa không bỏ rơi chúng ta, mà đã
ban cho chúng ta Con Một yêu dấu của Ngài, Chúa và Đấng Cứu Thế Giêsu Kitô.
Chúng ta hãy mừng lễ Giáng Sinh, lễ Nhập Thể, với trái tim hân hoan và hãy làm
mới lại đức tin và niềm hy vọng của chúng ta vào Thiên Chúa và công trình cứu
chuộc của Ngài.
Reflection
4th Sunday of Advent Year A
Obedience and trust in God’s plan.
Each year, for
the last Sunday of Advent, the Church proposes to us, scriptures and gospel
readings that directly prepare us for the Mystery of the Birth of our Savior.
In the first reading, the prophet
Isaiah tells us a story about king Ahaz, the King of Judah. When Judah was facing a military invasion from her enemies, In the
face of this danger, King Ahaz and his people became afraid. At this time prophet Isaiah goes to meet Ahaz
and gives advice to the king to remain calm and not to fear because the attack
will not succeed. Prophet Isaiah then offers the king a sign even when the king
refuses to ask for it. The sign is that
a young woman will bear a son and name him ‘Emmanuel’ which in Hebrew means
“God is with us”. Although the figure of Emmanuel in Isaiah is not presented as
a messianic figure, he will be a royal child. Although his future reign is not mentioned,
what is certain is that he will be a symbol of hope in weakness, a symbol of
new life in the midst of destruction. The birth of a child is perhaps the most
universal and enduring symbol of hope for humanity.
A
newborn child does not present a threat or conflict. A child is a sign of hope
for a new generation. Seven hundred years before the angel Gabriel came to
the Virgin Mary, the King of Judah was told how God would accomplish His plan
to be with His People for all time. Only Ahaz did not want to behold and he did
not want to trust in God.
In direct contrast to Ahaz, today’s
Gospel presents Joseph, a man who was faced with a dilemma. He was betrothed to
a beautiful young girl and anxiously awaiting the time that she would be ready
to leave her parents and become his wife. Following the custom of the day, the
first stage of marriage had taken place when Mary was still very young. That was the betrothal ceremony. From that
point, Mary was his wife, even though she still lived with her parents.
The marriage would be
completed with the celebration of the entrance of Mary into Joseph’s home. That
is when they would have the big wedding feast.
There would be a great banquet and
dancing and celebrating the new life of this couple and the new lives they
hoped to bring into the world. It was
exciting for Joseph, but then it all came crashing down, when he learned that
Mary was pregnant. Now, the reading says
that Joseph was an upright and just man. According to the common interpretation
of the law, he could have declared that Mary was unfaithful, guilty of
adultery, and had her put to death.
In our own time, in
some countries, we have seen the abominable examples of people putting their
wives, daughters or sisters to death for the slightest breaches of modesty, and
thinking that they are doing God’s will.
Joseph could have had Mary killed,
but he was a just man. He had a real relationship with God. He couldn’t fathom
God wanting Mary, a young girl dead. He
would just send her away. Joseph was
open to the will of God. And because he was open to God in his life, because he
trusted in God rather than his own plans, Joseph was able to behold the wonders
of God’s love in the world.
Unlike king Ahaz in the first
reading, Joseph chose the way of faith. He
chose well. What must it have been like for Joseph to hold
the King of Kings in his arms? What must
it have been like for him to experience the Love of God become flesh in Jesus? What must it have been like to live with Mary,
the polar opposite of Joseph’s fears, not a sinner, but the one who never
sinned? What must it have been like for Joseph to live
in a home filled with the wonders of God?
Whatever comes to mind? It was no easy task for Joseph to be husband
and father. He had to care for mother and child in a dark
cave in Bethlehem. We know that Joseph protected his family, Securing
mother and child on the back of a donkey, with himself on foot, he took them to
Egypt to escape Herod's evil
designs. We know that Joseph returned to Nazareth where he settled his
family and cared for Jesus in his
infancy and childhood, even taught him how to be a carpenter.
Joseph
had to have been a very happy man, for happiness is found in the presence of
God. Joseph
is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's
unfolding plan of redemption. Are we
ready to believe in the promises of God, even when we have to face perplexing
circumstances and what seem like insurmountable problems?
God
has not left us alone, but has brought us his only begotten Son, our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation,
with joyful hearts and let us renew our faith and hope in God and in his
redeeming work.
Reflection
4th Sunday of Advent Year A
Such was his intention when,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son
of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is
through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Matthew
1:20
Joseph knew
that the penalty for adultery was death by stoning. His heart must have been
deeply conflicted. On one hand, the virtues of his betrothed wife, Mary, were
abundantly clear. Mary radiated holiness. Impurity was foreign to her
Immaculate Heart. Yet she was pregnant, and Joseph was not the father. What
should he do?
To protect Mary from public
shame, Joseph decided to do what he believed was the most merciful thing—he
“decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention…” Though little is
known about Joseph, this Gospel passage identifies him as “a righteous man.”
Many saints, popes, and Church documents highlight his unquestionable sanctity.
He was not immaculate and free from sin as was his wife, but God the Father
would have chosen a righteous and holy man to be the foster father of the Son
of God.
Joseph’s
actions reveal his deep faith. As he slept, “the angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has
been conceived in her.’” The angel explained to him that Isaiah prophesied that
the Messiah would be born of a virgin (see Isaiah
7:14) and that Joseph was to take Mary and her unborn Son into his
home and care for them. When he awoke, he did as the angel commanded.
Joseph’s dream
was no ordinary dream. The Holy Spirit accompanied the angel and instilled the
certitude of faith in Joseph’s mind, empowering his will to obey God’s will.
Joseph became the father and guardian of the Savior of the World. On December
8, 1847, Pope Pius IX declared Saint Joseph to be the Universal Patron and
Protector of the Catholic Church. Just as he protected the Son of God, so he
intercedes for us who are members of Christ’s body, the Church.
As our Advent
season enters its final week, we are reminded of the role that Jesus’ foster
father played not only in the life of the Holy Family, but also about the role
Saint Joseph continues to play in the life of the Church and in each one of our
lives. His intercessory power from Heaven is great, and we should not hesitate
to call upon his prayers, especially when we need protection, struggle with
fear, or face some grave challenge.
Reflect today
on your personal devotion to Saint Joseph. Ponder, especially, his deep faith
and obedience to the will of God as was communicated to him in a dream. Strive
to imitate that obedience in your own life, never hesitating to undertake the
mission God has given you. Turn to Saint Joseph in prayer and know that his
powerful intercession will help protect you and win God’s grace in the areas
you need it the most.
Saint Joseph,
you were a holy and righteous man, entrusted with the guardianship of the
Mother of God and the Son of God. You fulfilled your role faithfully and
continue that role from Heaven, protecting all of God’s children through your
intercession. Please pray for me, that I will imitate your obedience and will
be protected from all sin so as to fulfill the unique role God has given me.
Saint Joseph, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Reflection
4th Sunday of Advent Year A 2025
Opening
Prayer: Lord God, I beseech you to pour your grace
into my heart that I, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known
by the message of an Angel, may, by his Passion and Cross, be brought to the
glory of the Resurrection.
Encountering
the Word of God
1.
Joseph, Son of David: In the Gospel, we read the beginning of the
story of Saint Joseph, the royal descendant of David, the husband of Mary, and
the protector of the Holy Family. In many ways, the story of the New Testament
Joseph echoes the story of the Old Testament Joseph. Both are sons of Jacob,
both had prophetic and important dreams, and both ended up in Egypt. But, above
all, both Josephs saved their families. The first Joseph saved the family of
Israel from a great famine. The new Joseph will provide for Mary and Jesus and
save them from the wrath of King Herod. In today’s Gospel, the angel of the
Lord calls Joseph, not “son of Jacob,” but “son of David.” This title recalls
another story of salvation. As a young man, David saved Israel from the
Philistines by slaying Goliath. And as an old man, King David repented of his
sin – he had pridefully taken an unauthorized census of his fighting men – and
saved his people from the punishment of pestilence by obeying a prophet’s
command to build an altar and offer sacrifices at the threshing floor of a man
named Araunah. The plague of three days of pestilence was stopped after David’s
sacrifice, and the threshing floor later became the site for the Temple in
Jerusalem. The episode looks forward in some ways to Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus
didn’t sin like David by taking a military census of his people, but he did
save us from the pestilence of sin through his sacrifice on the Cross. The
Goliath that Jesus, the Son of David, defeats is not a human of great stature,
but the devil himself. How am I working, like Joseph, to protect and
save my family?
2.
Hezekiah, Son of David: When Matthew reflects
on the annunciation of Jesus’ birth to Joseph, he shows how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment
of an ancient prophecy of Isaiah to King Ahaz. King Ahaz was one of the wicked
kings of Judah, who reigned from 732-715 B.C. During his reign, he was being
pressured to join an alliance with Syria and Israel against Assyria. Ahaz,
however, refused to join them, and Syria and Israel attacked Judah. When Ahaz
was debating what he should do, the prophet Isaiah counseled the king to remain
calm and trust in the Lord rather than seek an alliance with Assyria. Isaiah
even gave the king a prophetic sign: “The young woman will conceive and bear a
son, and they shall name him Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:11-14). But Ahaz refused to
listen to Isaiah and trust in the Lord and went ahead with his plan and began
to pay tribute to the Assyrian king, who decimated Syria and Israel. Isaiah’s
prophecy about a royal son of salvation was initially but
not ultimately fulfilled in Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah. Unlike his
father, Hezekiah became a good king and, through his fidelity to the Lord,
saved the people of Judah from the threat of the Assyrians (2 Kings 19; 2
Chronicles 32). Like David, Hezekiah was a good king and put the worship of the
Lord at the center of his Kingdom. But Hezekiah was also, like David, a flawed
king. While David struggled with lust, Hezekiah struggled with pride. This is
seen when Hezekiah flaunted his kingdom’s wealth to some Babylonian ambassadors
(2 Kings 20:12-19). Isaiah warned that this prideful act would one day lead to
the Babylonians plundering his treasures and leading his descendants into
exile.
3.
Son of David and Son of God: Jesus is
the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about a royal
son who will save God’s people. Jesus, the royal son of David, is truly “God
with us” and saves us, not from famine, or pestilence, or an enemy army, but
from sin, from spiritual famine, from spiritual pestilence, and the attacks of
the devil. In the Second Reading, Paul recalls the royal and divine lineage of
Jesus. Paul begins his Letter to the Romans by highlighting how he has been
called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ and how he has been set apart for the
Gospel about God’s Son, “descended from David according to the flesh, but
established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through
resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:2-4). Paul works as an apostle and
ambassador of Jesus to bring about “the obedience of faith” among all the
Gentiles (Romans 1:5-6). He preaches the Gospel that he has received: “Among
other things, the gospel means the return of God’s presence to his people. In
Isaiah, the word gospel signifies God’s return and his
definitive enthronement not just over Israel, but over the whole world –
resulting in the conversion of the nations (see Isaiah 40:9; 52:7-8; 60:6,
61:1). God has returned to his people in and through Jesus Christ, the Divine
Son of God. Christ is enthroned as the King of Heaven and Earth through his
passion, resurrection, and ascension, paving the way for the Gentiles to enter
God’s covenant family” (Swafford and Cavins, Romans: The Gospel of
Salvation, 10).
Conversing
with Christ: Lord Jesus, Son of David and Son of God, I
thank you for bringing me into your covenant family. Your heavenly Father is my
heavenly Father. You are my brother. Your Spirit has been poured into my heart
and has made me a new creation. I am surrounded by my brothers and sisters in
the Church. What an awesome mystery!
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