December 21, 2025
4th Sunday
Advent
FOCUS: Through Jesus we have received the grace of apostleship.
The coming of Jesus Christ is the sign of our salvation. He is “God with us” and has invited us to turn our lives over to him. Are we ready to accept this sign? Will we, like Joseph, put aside our fears and enter into a completely new reality, a new way of life?
What's in Your Heart
Righteousness or self-righteousness? That is the question! Lots of us are tempted to believe in our own moral goodness more than the promises of God.
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Do you think of yourself as living a virtuous life? Do others perceive you as righteous? What makes the difference between the righteous and self-righteous person?
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Like Ahaz, do you ever hide behind religious motivations in order to escape morally challenging situations?
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Paul of Tarsus was called and sent to announce the gospel. So are you. Compare your "apostleship" to his and note similarities and differences.
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Joseph is a man who pays attention to his dreams. Do you listen to your dreams, by day or by night, or do you ignore what does not seem "real" or "practical"?
Homily Stories
When my older brother was in the fifth grade, he came home from school proudly clutching an Advent calendar he had won in a contest. You opened one of the doors or windows every day, and there would be a little picture hidden behind it along with a trinket or a piece of chocolate. He told us he would open only the one door each day.
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I was tempted by the possibility of chocolate, my food of choice. I figured he'd notice right away if any of the upcoming doors were tampered with. So I went for the ones just before Christmas. I opened them, took the chocolate, and then closed it back up carefully.
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Imagine my brother's surprise the last few days before Christmas, when the waiting should have made the chocolate all the more sweet, when there was nothing behind the doors at all. It confused and devastated him. After all that waiting, there was no payoff. Mom assured him that it must have been a faulty calendar. No one thought of accusing me, so I felt fine until Mom bought him a 12-inch chocolate Christmas tree. It was bigger than anything that could have been part of the calendar.
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Advent works in different ways for different people. My brother was given a great gift, a sign of God's love and generosity this season because of my selfishness. He offered me a piece of that chocolate tree and gave me a quizzical look when I declined it. I was feeling too guilty. Isaiah tells us that the signs of the season are all around us. We only need to open the windows and doors and find what we have been patiently waiting for.
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