20-second Summary
How often do we ignore or take for granted the signs that God places in our paths that show God is with us? In this time of waiting for Christ to come at Christmas, there are signs everywhere! The sign of the coming of Christ was foretold hundreds of years before He came, in order for the Chosen People to know how to identify Him. Are we looking? What do we see?
Catechesis At Home – Fourth Sunday of Advent – Year A
Fourth Sunday of Advent – God is With Us
First Reading
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Responsorial Psalm
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Second Reading
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Reading
Alleluia
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Mass Readings are presented verbatim from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) web site in good faith accordance with its “Web and Other Digital Media Usage” guidelines. All Rights are reserved to the USCCB.
God is With Us
REFLECTION – Emmanuel – God is With Us
What is a sign? It is something that points to something else, or tells us what something is. Think of all the signs we encounter each day – street signs, traffic signs, business signs, signs people send through waves, hugs, kisses, blessings, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc. Signs help us navigate this world. Without them we would be lost – both physically and mentally. And spiritually.
In this week’s readings we hear that God is promising (again) to send the Messiah and to identify him, look for this sign:
“the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.” (Matthew 1:23, cf. Isaiah 7:14)
This is a pretty clear identifier! And this points straight to Jesus, whose virgin-birth, we know because the Gospels clearly tell us. All of this, from the outside looking in, makes no sense. It is only through the grace of God and the faith He gives us that we can believe these strange events are true. It is this faith that we see Mary and Joseph live out in their answering “yes” to God’s Plan for them and for all humanity. We also see from the first reading, how even if we do not have faith, such as King Ahaz, the Lord will work anyway. We cannot limit the love of God for His People. We cannot keep Emmanuel away from His saving work. God is with us, whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not. But, we can refuse or ignore Him. Or take Him for granted. Just like we can ignore or take for granted the signs mentioned above.
Our journey this Advent has been one of climbing, preparing, accepting, and now believing. As we continue to wait for the Second Coming, let’s remember to receive Jesus Christ, Incarnate, into our souls today – through prayer and receiving Him in the Eucharist, and truly let God be With Us.
DISCUSSION – How is God With Us?
Take time this week to dive into the presence of God in our lives. Discuss how and where you most see or feel God’s presence. Discuss ways to meet Jesus more fully each day. How can we encounter the Son of God, who became Incarnate, to save us from our sins? How can we invite Him into our lives?
ACTIVITY – Signs of God With Us
Probably, there are many signs of Christmas around at this point. At least in America, they are everywhere! Take time this week with your children, look for the signs of Christmas, and talk about what those signs mean. For example, Christmas lights – what is the significance of them? They represent Jesus being the Light of the World. Evergreen trees – even through the winter cold, these trees continue to live, and they prefigure the wood of the Cross. Combining these signs, we get Christmas trees, decorated and lit up to shine in the darkness, pointing us to God. Wreaths are circles which are signs of eternity.
DIG DEEPER – Other God is With Us resources from Holy Owned and Operated:
Page: Advent Resources
TWMWU: Third Sunday of Advent – He Comes to Save Us
TWMWU: Divine Mercy Sunday – Witness and Bear Fruit
Post: The Meanings Behind our Advent Traditions
Podcast: The Sign of the Cross – Episode 49
Podcast: The Incarnation – Episode 72
Podcast: God the Son – Episode 105
How is God With You?
by Beth & Kristofer Cowles
HOO™ Co-Founders
Other Help on HOO
Lust And Love – Episode 133
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:04 — 24.0MB)
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What is the difference between lust and love?
During this “season of Valentines” Beth and Kristofer cover this (often unknowingly) confusing and vitally important topic before we dive headlong into the pink and roses and hearts and whatnot.
Beth and Kristofer share how to tell the difference between lust and love, and how to teach that to impressionable minds and hearts.
And they do this in the context of Mortal Sin and Theological Virtue: Lust and Love, respectively.
They also, right out of the gate, point to Nick’s seven-part series about Love as a great resource on our web site for this discussion, which is linked to in the show notes.
Living in this world, but not of it, is difficult, and Beth and Kristofer offer us some pointers on how to do that, particularly in this day and age.
And, no, there is no inappropriate or “parental discretion advised” content in this episode.
But they do get attacked by a tree!
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