Is. 7:10-14, 10; Ps. 24:1-6 (7c-10b); Rom. 1:1-7; Mt. 1:18-24

Emmanuel, God is with us! Today the Holy Family, Mary, Jesus, and Joseph are with us revealed through the angels of the Lord. Let the Lord enter our heart and reign as king of glory. We belong to the Lord but the next step is ours to take and ascend the mountain of righteousness “whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain”. How is this to be if we are a sinful people? The more we seek the face of God the more we shed the sin of this world. His face comes as a child in a manger reaching out for the human touch of a mother and father.

Mother Mary and Joseph, son of David, were not afraid to accept what the angels of the Lord spoke to them. In trusting God, they fulfill the sign given to Ahaz through Isaiah God’s messenger, “the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel”. Ahaz was asked to ask for a sign but rather coy did not want to “tempt the Lord” meaning he did not trust God he looked to his own strategy to protect himself.

Mary and Joseph trusted God becoming instruments of God’s love and mercy. Christmas is our calling not to be afraid to be instruments in the hand of God. Seek the face of God and ascend the mountain of holiness. The mystery of life is the God of the present thus the past and the future is always tied to the present and we serve a greater purpose than our own brief time on earth. This is our time to contribute to the eternal plan of salvation and to enter into it forever.

Jesus calling was to be “Emmanuel, God is with us” given by name. We each carry a name and our name is a sacred calling. It may be the name given at birth but we also see in biblical history God giving those he called by name a new name with a spiritual meaning to serve a greater purpose. Jesus gives Peter the name Cephas meaning Rock when the spirit reveals to Peter who Jesus is. Joseph in Hebrew has the meaning “he will add”. Joseph adds to the mystery of faith as a silent voice by his obedience.

Have you ever had a personality type test that identifies your traits? Named Jose carrying Joseph’s name sake my personality traits in the Briggs Myer test comes out as an “INTJ” meaning Introvert, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Judging. Introverts are of few words and in all of scripture Joseph is not quoted. His actions did all the talking and no words were needed. Joseph was Intuitive by understanding the consequence of revealing Mary being with child was a death sentence and so remained silent. Joseph was Thinking of the righteous manner in which to “divorce her quietly” and save both their lives. Joseph was Judging rightly to follow with obedience the angel of the Lord’s message. One of the strengths of an INTJ is that of “strategist”. A good strategist listens to the voice of God before entering into battle against the enemy. The voice says “fear not, I am with you.”

Was Joseph an INTJ we do not know but we can see in his actions one virtue needed in all of us and that is humility. Humility is the first unifying virtue in receiving Jesus as Lord and savior. Jesus humility is coming as a child without fear trusting in the humility of a mother and father to follow the spirit of truth. Jesus trusted in Mary and Joseph to be love and sacrifice for his love. What does your name represent and what name may Jesus be offering as a true calling that unites who he created us to be in his image with the unique characteristics of our personality? Ask and it shall be revealed.

Finally, Advent is a time to prepare ourselves with the love of a child to receive the love of Christ. It is a time to reflect on the love of God in all the blessing of life beginning with life itself. It is a time to reflect the image of God in our love to others, a word of thanksgiving, a praise of recognition, an act of charity, a silent act of obedience to the will of God for a greater good. God is with us as he comes inviting us to a closer walk of love.

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1 Jn. 3: 7-10; Ps. 98: 1, 7-9; Jn. 1: 35-42

A new year brings us the sense of new beginnings with new opportunities as Christians to live our lives in acts of righteousness. Our prayer this day is that we see the saving power of God. How are we to see his saving power? It begins with an act of faith, with songs of praise, shouts of joy, and trust in God’s rule over the world.

The gospel reading today is the beginning of Christ’s mission after his coming through the womb of Mary in his humanity to bring us his divinity. He calls us as he called his disciples to follow. “Come, and you will see.” This is our message of today. Take an act of faith and come to the Lord. Come as you are. Come as a sinner, poor, hungry, sick and weak in need of a savior. We come through prayer, in confession in our celebration of the Mass. We come by reaching out to others and giving of ourselves. We come by offering our day, this moment to God with thanksgiving and praise. Often we must take the act of faith in the darkness of life by taking the next right step he has placed in our hearts which leads to the light. If we always saw the light we simply would need to do an act of the will and follow. The disciples we told “Behold the Lamb of God” and in an act of the will followed. We can behold the Lamb of God in the Eucharist truly present and follow him through our sacraments.

When we are in the darkness, let us give praise to God for he is with us in our darkness waiting on us to open ourselves up to Him. In the darkness we are to pray, “Here I am Lord, I offer you my intellect, my will, and my emotions, this body and soul let it be done to me according to your will. I offer you my darkness with an act of hope for your divine providence. I offer you my praise as an act of love. I offer you my actions as an act of faith in your guiding love. I come to you, come to me with a word of truth to my mind. I come to you, come to me in a consolation of peace in my heart. I come to you, come to me with a sign of hope through the action of others. I come to you, come to me that I may see your saving power that I may follow in your love.”

Jesus took Simon, son of John and called him “Cephas” translated as Peter and “rock”. Jesus wanted Simon as a rock of faith but this required many trials for Peter to become the rock for Christians. Jesus is calling us also by name. What name may he be giving us as his followers? Do we need to be “rock” in leading our domestic church at home or “grace” in testimony of holiness, or “joy” in thanksgiving? We too have a name to represent our call to service but we start by coming to see as disciples before we are sent forth as apostles. In taking his name as Peter he passed through his darkness before he became the light of “rock”. This is taking up our cross daily and following Him. Trust in the Lord he has given us a purpose to follow, each according to God’s plan but all as Christians, that is followers of Christ.

Today is also the Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a Religious who in many ways lived a traditional Christian life with periods of darkness as when she lost her mother as a child of 3 years and periods of light when she entered the Catholic faith to begin her calling to set up a school for girls and later the order of Sisters of Charity. Through this she was also a mother, a wife, and a widow in her earthly pilgrimage. She is the first American born canonized Saint by the Church. It is in the ordinary life that God’s call is to do extraordinary virtue with our lives.

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