Fourth Sunday of Advent: A: December 21, 2025

        THE MYSTERY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH

Introduction: We are in the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. Today's liturgy speaks to us about Emmanuel: 'God with us'. First reading from the book of prophet Isaiah speaks about the birth of Emmanuel, born of a young virgin. In the second reading, St. Paul in his letter to Romans speaks about the divine and human nature of Christ. He is born a human, but at the same time, He is the Son of God. In the Gospel, we hear Angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she will bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary had her own doubts but finally she accepts the invitation of the Angel and unconditionally says 'yes' to God's will. That 'yes' changed the life of Mary for ever and she became the mother of God. As we prepare for Christmas, let our preparations be more spiritual than mere external preparations. 

First Reading: Isaiah 7: 10 to 14

Second Reading: Romans 1: 1 to 7

Gospel Reading: Matthew 1: 18 to 24

   *First reading is from the book of prophet Isaiah. Isaiah foretells the birth of a very special child. He will be called Emmanuel. Ahaz the king of Judah is in great distress. The prophet encourages him to have faith in the Lord God. Isaiah's constant message to the king is to trust in the Lord God. Further he invites Ahaz to ask for a sign from the Lord God. Ahaz is reluctant and refuses to ask for a sign. However, Isaiah tells Ahaz that a sign will be given by the Lord God. A son will be born whose name will be Emmanuel: God with us. 

   *Second reading is from St. Paul's letter to Romans. The opening lines from Paul to the Christian community at Rome are mentioned. Paul refers to the human and divine 'roots' of Jesus. He describes Jesus as a descendant of David and Son of God who is the fulfillment of all prophecies of the past. 

Emmanuel: God with us                                                                             Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. The fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah is described. Jesus is seen as the royal child of the house of David: Born of a virgin. In Jesus, the dynasty of David continues. He is not only the son of David but also Son of God. Jesus is born of a virgin, Mother Mary. Mary's virginity points to the truth that Jesus is conceived without the intervention of a human father. A virgin mother has no precedent in any religious traditions. As we approach Christmas, the prophecy of Isaiah and it's fulfilment as narrated in Matthew are brought up for a very specific purpose. It is to remind all of us that even in our most distressing situations of life, difficulties, disappointments and pains, God is with us. It is in those painful times that we realize the immense power and the greatness of the Almighty. In this context, former US President  Calvin Coolidge said: "Christmas is not a time nor season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have a real spirit of Christmas." C. M. Schulz says: "Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." 

Conclusion: Many gifts and presents will be exchanged during this Christmas. But the greatest and the best gifts are not chocolates or expensive and glittering presents but the gift of Jesus Himself. Let us prepare our hearts to welcome Him. 

                              MERRY CHRISTMAS!

May Emmanuel, born of a virgin, bless you with His heavenly blessings during this Christmas. Amen.  

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, December 21, 2025." Thanks.)

Third Sunday of Advent: A: December 14,2025

 PREPARE FOR THE IMMINENT COMING OF THE LORD

Introduction: We are in the third week of Advent, intensively preparing for the coming of the Lord. In the first reading prophet Isaiah assures the people of Israel that the Lord God will come to their rescue. He speaks of a time, when Messiah comes, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear and the lame will be able to walk. In the second reading St. James in his letter urges us to be patient with regard to the second coming of the Lord. In the Gospel, John the Baptist sends messengers to enquire whether Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah. Jesus invites them to observe: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear and the dead are raised. John invites all of us to have a change of heart and to repent. Advent is the time to clear our doubts and welcome the Lord earnestly.

First Reading: Isaiah 35: 1 to 6

Second Reading: James 5: 7 to 10

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11: 1 to 11

   * First reading is from the book of prophet Isaiah. Isaiah foretells the return of the people of Israel from the Babylonian captivity: The Lord God rescues them. Isaiah urges us that we too should look beyond our present sorrows and disappointments with a firm hope in the Lord God's love and saving actions in our lives. He encourages us to cheer up and not to be afraid because the Lord God will save us. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. James. The Apostle invites us to be patient: The quality which all of us find it hard to possess. He urges all of us to be loving and patient with one another and to be patient regarding the Lord's final coming. He gives us the great example of the prophets who underwent various sufferings but always went about patiently.

 Are you the one who is to come?                                                                     Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. John the Baptist's doubts and predicaments regarding Jesus and His mission are narrated. All of us have some unfulfilled hopes and unanswered prayers. John too faced a problem regarding the identity of Jesus. "Are you the one or shall we look for another?" is the question put by John to Jesus through his messengers. The hopes of John the Baptist regarding Jesus as the promised Messiah are not entirely fulfilled. John is imprisoned by Herod. In the prison, he is confused about Jesus and His mission. The question put by John is raised by people down the centuries and many raise this question even today. Jesus' answer to the messengers of John is to observe the happenings around them: Have a reality check. Jesus asks them to tell John concerning their experience of Him: Sight to the blind, lame walking, dead are raised to life and the good news being preached to the poor. Are there such experiences in our lives that would make us commit to Jesus and His mission? Today Jesus asks us to look around and see the presence of God and His benevolent power among us. Look around the world and observe the universe and experience the mighty manifestations of His love and care and the great power over the world, the stars and the galaxies in the ever expanding universe. When our hopes are broken and our dreams are shattered, let us not get disappointed and disheartened but rather place our total trust in the Lord. In this context Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: "A prison cell, in which one awaits, hopes, and is completely dependent on the fact that the door to freedom has to be opened from outside, is not a bad picture of Advent." Steve Maraboli says: "Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies and do unto others as you would have done unto you." 

Conclusion: The question John puts as we heard in the Gospel is our question too. Is Jesus the Messiah: The only redeemer for us? Is His Gospel enough for us? Do we find in Jesus, the answer to our deepest longings? Advent is the time to address these questions. The ancient Romans had a God called Janus. January comes from the name of that God. He is depicted with having a head with two faces. One face looks backward and the other looks forward. The season of Advent is something similar. It looks backward to the first coming of Jesus which happened more than two thousand years ago. It also looks towards the future of Jesus' coming at the end of times. We are in between these two events. Our work is not to sit and watch but rather to continue the Mission of Jesus that He entrusted to us at His first coming. 

May the Lord Jesus bless you during this Advent that you may firmly believe that He is indeed the Messiah and dispel all doubts from your heart. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph. December 14, 2025." Thanks.)

Second Sunday of Advent: A: December 7, 2025

 ADVENT PREPARATIONS : A CALL TO REPENTANCE 

Introduction: We are in the second week of  Advent. In the coming  weeks we are encouraged to prepare intensively for the coming of Lord Jesus. In the first reading, prophet Isaiah speaks about the future messianic kingdom and the qualities of the Messiah. He says that the Messiah will be an ideal king who will bring justice and peace to the world. In the second reading, St. Paul says that Jesus is the hope of all humans. In the Gospel, we have John the Baptist inviting everyone to prepare for the way of the Lord. He invites us to have a change of heart and to reform our sinful ways. 

First Reading: Isaiah 11: 1 to 10

Second Reading: Romans 15: 4 to 9

Gospel Reading: Matthew 3: 1 to 12

   *First reading is from the book of prophet Isaiah. Isaiah says that when the Messiah comes He will be an ideal king. He will bring two great gifts to the world: The two gifts the world is in great need of - justice and peace. The signs of the messianic kingdom will be seen in nature too: The wolf dwelling with the lamb; the leopard lies down with the kid; the calf and the lion live together. There will not be anymore hurt or destruction in nature. Advent is the appropriate time to prepare for the coming of the Messiah: The king of peace and justice. 

   *Second reading is from St. Paul's letter to Romans. Paul elaborates about the importance of hope. He says that Jesus Christ is the hope of all humans. In Him we find hope, harmony and peace. Just as Jesus welcomes everyone to share the joys of His kingdom, we must welcome one another in body and mind to offer glory to God.

John the Baptist's call to repentance                                                          Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. John the Baptist invites everyone to repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. John's appearance in the wilderness is rather eccentric. He wears a garment of camel's hair with a leather belt. He eats locust and honey. John calls people from all walks of life to repent and be baptized. Hence, John's invitation for the people is to have a change of heart. John warns that those who do not have a change of heart will face punishment from God. John recalls the infidelity of Israel. He speaks of the promised Messiah who will come soon.  He will be greater than John himself and He will exercise His authority and judgement. We are invited to have a  look into the areas in which we need to change. Thus, we need to be transformed and to be touched by the forgiving love of God. John makes it amply clear that unless we accept our sins and failures and correct our wrong ways, we cannot truly prepare for the coming of the Lord. In this context E.T. Benson says: " Repentance means change and it takes a humble person to change." Thomas Carlyle,  an English writer, says: "Of all acts of man, repentance is the most divine."  Oscar Wilde says: "How else but through a broken heart may the Lord Jesus Christ enter in?"

Conclusion: During the second week of Advent, we are again and again reminded to repent and to be reconciled. Leonardo Da Vinci was a great painter and artist. His world famous painting of the Last Supper adorns the Sistine Chapel in Vatican. While working on this immortal painting of the Last Supper, Da Vinci had a heated argument with one of his colleagues. Bitter words were exchanged and threatening gestures made. When the arguments were over and things cooled down,  Da Vinci went back to his canvas, where he was working on the face of Jesus. In spite of much concentration and efforts, he could not make a single stroke. He felt as if he was paralyzed. After some time, he realized where the real trouble was. He went back to his colleague and apologized for his rude behaviour. Then he returned to his studio and calmly continued to paint the face of Jesus. During these days of Advent, we are not merely painting the face of Jesus, but rather, we are preparing ourselves and our hearts for the coming of the Lord. So we must do something in our lives too, similar to what Da Vinci did.

May the Lord Jesus bless you during this season of Advent and give you the grace to experience true repentance and God's forgiving love. Amen.

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, December 7, 2025." Thanks.)