How Far Will We Go? ~ by Ronnie Archer

The Fourth Sunday of Advent means that a journey is coming to an end.

In today's first reading and the Gospel, we hear of the upcoming birth of our Lord, Jesus. Do we have the faith to "see" Christ, and to be as obedient as Joseph was in today's Gospel? Joseph, not wanting to expose Mary to shame, had planned to divorce her quietly, until the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to "not be afraid to take Mary into your home... for it was through the Holy Spirit that this child was conceived."

We need to remember that God is WITH us, and we need to have the eyes of Christ to really "see" Him. Often we feel that we need to have signs; but we can experience God in our day to day living, in our interactions with those around us, in being truly forgiving of those who have hurt us and not harboring anger, in seeing Christ in others, and reflecting the Christ in us TO others... because Christ looked the same as we do.

Can we go as far in having the faith of Ahaz; and be as obedient as Joseph, confident that God will work to fulfill His promises in His own way and in His own time?


~ The Fourth Sunday of Advent ~