By Francis Gonsalves, SJ-
Fourth Sunday of Advent – Cycle A – December 22, 2019
Isa 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24
“… and they shall name him ‘Emmauel’ which means ‘God – is – with – us’ ” (Mt)
Three Scriptural Signposts:
Christmas is just around the bend. This fourth and last Sunday of Advent narrows the focus to the soon-to-be-born Messiah, Emmanuel, God-with-us. We could reflect on how God plans to be with us through the warp and woof of human history.
- While the previous three Sundays spoke of hope in various ways, the Isaian prophesies seem to find their fulfillment in today’s readings. In the first reading, King Ahaz—who ruled Judah from 736 BC to 716 BC—was faced with an attack from the combined forces of Israel and Syria. Instead of trusting in God, he sought assistant from a pagan Assyrian king. This led to the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah. Basically, Ahaz is faced with a choice that requires discernment and a decision: Trust in God? Or, trust in military might? He chooses the latter. This leads to doom and destruction. Yet, all is not ended.
The point stressed is that history is imbued with a religious sense and pregnant with God’s power. God is not enthroned ‘up there’ in the highest heavens but God is down here, ‘with us’: guiding, inspiring and pilgrimaging with humankind. The ‘sign’ given to Ahaz is one of hope: that a virgin/young woman will conceive and bear a child and “shall call his name ‘Emmanuel’.” The Hebrew word ‘alma’ can be translated either as young woman or virgin. However a young woman getting married and bearing a child through normal intercourse with her husband is ‘natural’ and cannot be a supernatural ‘sign’ or miracle.
Moreover, the Greek translators of Isaiah would translate ‘alma’ as ‘parthenes’, meaning, ‘virgin’. Likewise, Matthew leaves no doubt that the person foretold is a virgin: Mary. Another small detail is that in Jewish society, it is the father, not the mother, who has the prerogative of naming the child. But, in the first reading it is the young woman who will name her child; and, in Luke’s gospel, the angel tells Mary, “you will name him Jesus” (Lk 1:31). In both cases, the woman has the special privilege of naming her child.
- The gospel according to Matthew is primarily addressed to the Jews accepting a new lifestyle and walking ‘The Way’ of the crucified-risen Jesus, whom they believe is the ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’: God’s Anointed One. Specially tailoring his text for those ‘on the threshold’ of walking The Way, so to say, Matthew shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of all Messianic prophesies. Thus, in his gospel, Matthew quotes the Old Testament eleven times to show that the events around Jesus’ life occur “to fulfill what was spoken by the prophets”.
Matthew’s very first quotation of an Old Testament prophecy, namely, about virgin and son, Emmanuel (Isa 7:14, today’s first reading), is significant since he simply state: “God is with us!” Notice that Matthew’s gospel begins with a ‘geneology’ or what today we would popularly call a ‘family tree’ that traces Jesus’ humanity back to King David and ultimately to Abraham. But, the role of the Holy Spirit is also mentioned to clearly state that Jesus is a God-man (theanthropos) in whom heaven marries earth, divine impregnates human, and God enters into human history like never before.
- The central character in the gospel is Joseph, foster-father of Jesus. Joseph is a exemplar Spirit-filled character in the Christmas story since he is a silent co-operator with God to bring to fulfillment all that the prophets had foretold. Joseph is fully human and moulded by the Jewish Tradition—bound by the mandates of the Law, yet open to the promises of the Prophets.
On hearing of the unexpected pregnancy of his beloved bethroted, Mary, he is caught between the devil and the deep sea. On the one hand, fidelity to Mosaic Law demanded that adulterers be stoned to death (Lev 20:10), but, on the other, the dictates of mercy and compassion prompted him “not to put her to shame but to divorce her quietly” (v.19). To obey some angel that prompted him in a dream: “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived of her is of the Holy Spirit” (v.20) meant taking a great risk—going against the Law and breaking the Tradition. Yet, Joseph decided to take Mary as his wife. This discerment in the power of the Spirit that would lead to God’s Son, Jesus, being born and bred in Nazareth under the parenting of Mary and Joseph.
Linking the Second Reading and the Psalm to the Theme In the second reading, St. Paul proclaims to the Christian community in Rome that the Good News is that God’s promises climax in Jesus: “descendent of David according to the flesh” as well as “Son of God in the Spirit”. Consequently, this demands from them an “obedience of faith” (v.5). Indeed, this “obedience of faith” is to believe that “God saves”; for, ‘Jesus’ (Hebrew, Yesua) literally means “God’s salvation”. The ‘God-is-with-us-event’, therefore, is not to be reflected upon rationally, but to be realized in everyday life. Emmanuel calls for encounter.
Today’s psalm (24) proclaims, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof – Let the Lord enter!” Emmanuel must enter for encounter. But, the question arises: Do we believe that God is with us? Do we experience God’s presence in our midst? God’s power animating human history?
Pope Francis on ‘Emmanuel’:
Commenting on their name and identity, Pope Francis said to the ‘Emmanuel Community’ of Italy on September 25, 2019: “Dear brothers and sisters, ‘God-with-us’… Jesus is not just an idea, or an ideology … He is truly God-with-us, who witnessed to the love of the Father by sharing our human condition to the full … Jesus is the source that ensures we never give up on joy, hope, and courage. He helps us continue our work with joy even when we struggle and feel tired. He guarantees we remain faithful to the original spirit of our vocation and mission.”
A Contextual Concern:
The Citizenship Ammendment Act: passed last week in Parliament is something we will have to reflect upon. Christianity began with migrant parents of Jesus—Mary and Joseph—moving from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt. Can government arbitrarily decide who is Indian and who is not?
Prayer for Discernment: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. … But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. … I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. … I will not fear, for you are ever with me.” (Thomas Merton)
Fr. Francis Gonsalves is a Gujarat Jesuit, former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi, and currently Dean of Theology at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.