What can turn our lives upside down?
(Is 7.10-14; Rom 1.1-7; Mt 1.18-24)
One of the precious gifts of Christmas are signs that speak to us. They may be cards from old friends or emails from acquaintances from way back. They can be unusual thought-filled presents. Each says to us – I remember you; I am so glad that you have been part of my life.
God likes us to ask for such signs (Is 7.10) because they acknowledge that in the end God is the Father Christmas par excellence who gives life and all the hopes that give life meaning, like the unexpected arrival of Jesus, his Son, rising in the East.
What can turn our lives upside down, however, are the signs that are never expected, like Joseph’s dream that a baby was to be born right outside the normal course of nature. (Mt 1.20-21) Sometimes God plants dreams in our heart that seem impractical, unreal: inviting a stranger to our Christmas table, adopting a Ukrainian orphan, becoming a volunteer at a shelter for the homeless. These are the dreams that open a path to other worlds.
This reflection and a collection of other Sunday thoughts can be found on our website: https://www.catholicdiscovery.nz/this-sunday
Source: 4th Sunday Advent year A1
This Sunday