19/12/2010 - 4TH. SUNDAY IN ADVENT SEASON - A
1Reading Is 7,10-14 Psalm 23 2Reading Rom 1,1-7 Gospel Mt 1,18-24
Who celebrates baptism spits in the face of the devil. In ancient times this gesture
was done really, when the baptizing, before getting into the baptismal pool, use
to turn towards the West to renounce Satan and all his lies and attractions. Today
we have reduced this rite to some phrases. Who renews the baptismal vows renews
its renunciation of Satan and its seductions. I have the impression that those who
do it, does not realize that what he does is something very serious. If I had to
give a name to the temptations of Satan, one sees that they are present every day
and everywhere. Shall we see which they are? Evil temptation is whatever distracts
one from trusting in the heavenly Father: let us begin with simple things like the
horoscopes. It is a temptation of Satan to want to know the future, because one
renounce to trust in God and rely his providence. This curiosity brings one to look
for fortunetellers and mediums, magicians and sorcerers: all servants of God's enemy.
Evil temptations are thirst for power and vanity hidden in practices for well-being,
to realize one's desires of self-fulfillment. Here does not exist the love of neighbour.
Evil temptations are attraction to drugs and to the various forms of earning easy
money: lotteries, betting and gambling. Evil temptations are religions at low cost,
those which invites one without having to change one's life. Such religions are
proposed from those who did not die on the cross. Evil temptations are the choices
based on selfishness, decisions taken one way, even if one is married. And one can
continue with a long list: everything that takes one away from the love of the Father
and from the way of wisdom is a temptation. Who gets baptized renounces them, and
who is baptized rejects them! To live the life that the Lord begins in us with Holy
Baptism one must know how to discern what is from the devil and what is God's inspiration
instead. For this reason it is necessary that next to us there be someone who listens
to us and help us to discern. Who is baptized thus is given a godparent: Unfortunately
today the figure of the godfather or godmother has become a useless figure: relatives
or friends are chosen for reasons other than the original ones, for reasons that
are not of faith, and therefore will not be able to fulfill their responsability.
The sensible person searches for a spiritual father, a priest who listens, with
whom one can open his heart, with whom he may discuss and make choices and decisions
important for life.
Faith will be for us a guide that shall help us stay at Bethlehem as if at home,
next to Joseph, "the Just man". He is a Just man because he tries to make
his choices in the light of divine law. He doesn't want to disobey God, but neither
make public the "sin" of she who is his betrothed. His love for God is
also a love for the girl whom he was to take home. His position is very difficult,
but because he wants to be of God, God comes to help him resolve the problem, making
him go beyond the law. He solved it, and revealed to him that his ' problem ' is
a plan of God, or rather the realization of all plans of the divine mercy. When
he wakes up, Joseph knew that he was destined to hide and reveal a mystery inconceivable
for men. These hold him to be the child's father, and thus they will accuse him
of having done what he had never thought of doing. He knows that the child himself
will be Savior also of his naysayers. He cannot defend himself in front of men:
nobody would believe him. He must live in silence and suffer in silence and, at
the same time, enjoy being an instrument of God in his kindness for all. What a
mystery! Complex and simple are the designs of God! They are wonderful, and only
our sin, makes us suspect and malign, and make them complex and difficult to understand.
We will be forgiven and saved from sin, and then we can understand God and thank
Joseph for his readiness to respond to the angel who spoke in the dream. In this
fourth Sunday of Advent the Lord wants us to see our littleness and the poverty
of our intelligence. The solutions of his love to human problems are there and are
superior to every our ability. The King Ahaz does not accept nor let God act in
his life: he is sure that not even God is smarter or wise than him. The Prophet
instead proclaims to him God's work, of which Joseph will become one of the protagonists:
the birth of the Virgin. At the coming of that child there will be a turning point
for Israel and for all peoples. St. Paul lives within this novelty has taken place,
but which must be announced and accepted by all Nations. He accepted to be the Apostle
involve also the Christians of Rome in the most beautiful mission that there may
be in this world: " to bring all Nations to the obedience of the faith."