Current Homily

                                                                                                                                                                               RECTORÍA DE SAN JUAN DE DIOS

 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, CYCLE A

                                                                                                                                                                   Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Fr. Josué Arellano

BLESSED ST JOSEPH, INCREASE OUR FAITH…

On our journey of preparation for Christmas, we have reached the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. On this Sunday, we meditate on the origin of the birth of Jesus our Savior.

During this time, we have been accompanied by various important figures, such as the prophet Isaiah, St John the Baptist, and today, in a special way, we are accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary and

 St Joseph. Both were chosen by God to participate in this plan of salvation, and they are models of obedience, humility, and love for God.

On this occasion, I want to highlight the person of St Joseph, also known as the saint of silence, since we know very little about him through the information provided by Sacred Scripture.

Devotion to St Joseph in his sleep has recently grown. This devotion has biblical origins, stemming from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1, in which God speaks to St Joseph in a dream. The popularity of this devotion is due to the impetus given by Pope Francis.

The image is inspired by the Gospel of Matthew, which, as we have already mentioned, recounts that God communicated with Saint Joseph through four dreams fundamental to the history of salvation.

1. The acceptance of Mary: an angel reveals to him that the child in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. The flight to Egypt: he is warned of the danger that King Herod poses to the child Jesus.
3. The return to Israel: the angel indicates that he can return after Herod's death.
4. The detour to Galilee: he is instructed to avoid Judea and settle in Nazareth. All these biblical accounts help us understand St Joseph's diligence and promptness in fulfilling God's will. The fulfillment of the divine will stemmed from holy obedience and complete trust in God. It is the capacity to hear God's will, even in his rest.

And although today, the faithful turn to St Joseph in his sleep in various situations, such as the protection of our families, difficult problems that seem insurmountable, incurable illnesses, and so on, what is certain is that this devotion helps us rest in the Lord, trusting that God guides our lives, even in our moments of rest, while we sleep.

It is beautiful to contemplate the witness of St Joseph, but there is an even greater beauty in contemplating that God takes the initiative to make his love present; and we will contemplate that love in its fullness when we look at Jesus, resting in the manger.

From the "yes" of St Joseph and the "yes" of Mary Most Holy, Emmanuel, God is with us, has come to us.

Let us continue moving forward during these days with great joy, making our own the words of the psalm: "The Lord, the King of Glory, is coming." Amen.