Isaiah 7.10-14 | Romans 1.1-7 | Matthew 1.18-24

Today we begin with Mother Church the last week of Advent. We are in the second part of this liturgical season, which began on December 17th, and whose purpose is to prepare us for the solemnity of Christmas, the birth of the child Jesus the Savior.
Today we light the last candle of our Advent wreath. The darkness of sin is being driven out so that the light, which is Christ, the rising Sun, may shine.
Christmas is almost here! Only a few days left! Mary has already said YES to the Archangel Gabriel for the plan of God the Father, the Holy Spirit has already impregnated the virgin wife of Joseph, and Jesus is already growing in the womb of His Mother. We are experiencing this beautiful mystery with great joy and hope!
Today the evangelist Matthew tells us about the announcement of the angel of the Lord to Joseph in a dream. The messenger explained to Mary's fiancé that She was the Virgin who would conceive and give birth to Emmanuel, God-with-us (cf. Isaiah 7:14), through the Holy Spirit.
Before this explanation, Joseph had decided to divorce Mary secretly, upon realizing that She was pregnant and that he was not his son.
After this explanation, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife Mary home.
When we are going through difficult situations and cannot understand anything, let us not make hasty decisions, but let us pray and ask God to explain His plan of love to us. And, like Joseph, let us accept God's will.
According to the prophetic tradition of Judaism, dreams were also a classic form of communication between the Lord and His chosen ones. An example of this was Joseph, the son of the patriarch Jacob-Israel, sold into slavery by his brothers. He had prophetic dreams and also had the gift of interpreting them (cf. Genesis 37; 41). Matthew presents the angel of God communicating with Joseph through a dream, in that same prophetic tradition, so appreciated by the Jews, who were the first to become Christians, and who were the main recipients of this evangelist.
The angel addressed Joseph as "son of David." In fact, there was the famous divine promise that, from the lineage of King David, the Messiah Savior would be born (2 Samuel 7.12-16). This promise was fulfilled through Joseph, who was of the lineage of David and, having welcomed Jesus as his adopted Son, made Him a member of this lineage.
Like Joseph, let us accept to collaborate in the divine plan of salvation. God could do everything alone, since He has sufficient power to do so. But the Lord desires to count on the collaboration of women and men, like Mary and Joseph, so that His grace may come to the world. Let us not be like Adam and Eve, who, by refusing to obey God, brought sin and death into the world.
Today the prophet Isaiah speaks to King Ahaz about the famous divine promise that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, named Emmanuel.
Some biblical scholars say that this virgin would be a small group of Israelites who would remain faithful to the Lord, through whom He would supernaturally begin a new generation, dwelling among them.
For us Christians, this virgin is Mary, the wife of Joseph, the Mother of God the Son Jesus, the true "God-with-us," the Mother of the Church, the new People of God, who are faithful to Him!
With the Archangel Gabriel, we too pray: "Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with Thee" (cf. Luke 1:28)!
Today, the apostle Paul speaks to us at the beginning of his letter to the Romans about the fulfillment of the divine promise of sending the Messiah, according to the Holy Scriptures, through Jesus Christ, a descendant of David according to the flesh.
The apostolate is a vocation to bring all peoples to the obedience of faith, so that they may become disciples of Jesus Christ, for the glory of His Name.
This Christmas that is approaching, like Paul, with words and concrete gestures of solidarity, let us wish everyone grace and peace from God, our Father, and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. May everyone have the opportunity to know the Messiah, son of David, to worship Him and serve Him in the most needy people, so that the Kingdom of God may come ever more.
Let us open ourselves to the light that is Christ, which floods families, the Church and the world with joy this Christmas that is approaching.