Reflections  on the gospel of the 4^th Sunday of Advent Year A: Matthew 1:18-24

• Among the people of Israel marriage was done in two stages. The first stage was the signing of the marriage contract in the presence of a Rabbi by the couple, by their parents and by two witnesses. The signature made boy and girl husband and wife; but they were not expected to go and live together immediately.

• They were supposed to wait for a whole year. The interval gave the two families more time to know each other, and the bride and bridegroom meanwhile would grow in maturity, since it was the custom for boys and girls to marry very young: the girl at about 12-13 years and the boy at 15-16 (and these must have been the ages of Mary and Joseph, too).

• After a year of waiting, there was a great feast and the bride was led to the house of the bridegroom where they began living together. The Annunciation to Mary and her pregnancy through the work of the Holy Spirit took place during this interval of time. (Deut.22:22-27)

• Joseph do not be afraid : The Angel knows that what is happening in Mary is from God. In fact, the Angel adds “she has conceived by the Holy Spirit” : Here is the explanation why Joseph should not be afraid… But Joseph, when he understood what was happening, he was afraid. Being “an upright man” he felt himself like nothing near to God and now he is invited to take care of God, to live near God. So, “Joseph, do not be afraid” means “Joseph do not be afraid to take care of God, do not be afraid to take care of Mary, as your wife, who has God in herself, do not be afraid to live face to face with God” (Like Moses: Ex.33,11).

• Joseph was to give Mary’s son the name of Jesus, and so make him a member of the family of David. The virgin birth is a sign that God’s great gift to humanity - Jesus  -  is given entirely by grace, without the involvement of a man. 

• Jesus was born by the action of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who taught the Prophets what to say; it was the Holy Spirit who taught 'men of God' what to do; it was the Holy Spirit who, throughout the ages and the generations, brought God’s truth to men. So then, Jesus too, born through the power of the Holy Spirit, brings God’s truth to men.

• Jesus is the one person who can tell us what God is like, and what God means us to be. In him alone we see what God is and what man ought to be. Before Jesus came, men had only vague and shadowy, and often, quite wrong ideas about God; they could only at best guess; but Jesus could say: “He who has seen me, has seen the Father” (Jn.14,9).