Preparation for God’s coming into the World
As we enter into the final week of Advent, we can see how God was preparing His people from ages ago for the coming of His Son. In the first reading we hear about the prophecy that the Messiah, whose name will be Immanuel (Hebrew “God with us”), would come from the line of David and be born of a Virgin. This prophecy, said be around 8th century BCE by Isaiah is given to king Ahaz in the midst of an imminent invasion of Judah by the teaming up of the Northern tribes of Israel and Syria. The sign of a young woman who shall conceive and bear a son is given to strengthen the king in the face of the challenging situation ahead of him.
This fulfillment can be noted in the Gospel where the angel tells Joseph who was already married to Mary (having completed the first stage of a 2-stage Jewish wedding) that Mary’s child is divinely conceived. Joseph was initially baffled, and it needed an angel’s explanation to indicate that fact to him. One could only wonder what might have gone on in Joseph’s mind as he comes to grasp this reality.
Fulton Sheen highlights the preparation the Jews had for Christ’s coming in contrast to the rise of other religious figures in history when he writes:
Socrates had no one to foretell his birth. Buddha had no one to pre-announce him and his message or tell the day when he would sit under the tree. Confucius did not have the name of his mother and his birthplace recorded, nor were they given to men centuries before he arrived so that when he did come, men would know he was a messenger from God. But, with Christ it was different. Because of the Old Testament prophecies, His coming was not unexpected. There were no predictions about Buddha, Confucius, Lao-tze, Mohammed, or anyone else; but there were predictions about Christ. Others just came and said, “Here I am, believe me.” Christ alone stepped out of that line saying. “Search the writings of the Jewish people…” (The Life of Christ, p. 1-2)
It is wonderful to see the manner that God prepared his people to enter into human history. It is time to prepare our hearts to receive him anew. May the disposition of Mary who pondered on the Word and of Joseph the just and righteous man prepare us too to welcome the Lord’s birth.
Fr Alliston
