Advent Dreams

Gospel
Mt 1:18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Homily for December 23, 2007: Fourth Sunday of Advent

A popular poem that we hear this time of year talks about children nestled, snug in their beds, with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.

This is a time for dreaming, and wishing.

And not just among children. This Sunday, we meet the great dreamer of the gospels, Joseph.

Dreams are among the great mysteries of the human mind. Even now, psychologists have different opinions about where they come from and what they mean. And they continue to be profound sources of revelation. In 1865, it was a dream that gave a scientist the idea for the molecular structure of carbon. And in Poland there is a nun, Sister Anastazja Putelnik, who has been called the country’s greatest cook, and she says that one of her most famous recipes, for a cake, came to her in a dream.

That’s a little closer to the “vision of sugar plums” kind of dream.

But for Joseph, his dream would help transform the world.

God’s angel comes to Joseph and speaks to him while he sleeps. And he tells him something so amazing and so important, that the great scripture scholar Raymond Brown has referred to this gospel passage as “the other annunciation.”

Joseph dreams. And he listens. He hears that this child will be called Emmanuel, that he will be God’s presence with us. And that he will save us.

Like Mary at the FIRST annunciation, Joseph accepts and he believes. He takes that leap of faith, and trusts himself completely to God. In that way, by his actions, Joseph echoes Mary’s own Magnificat: “I am the servant of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.” And as a result, God’s great plan can be fulfilled. With that, the final piece is put in place. The stage is set for our redemption.

We’re closing in on the last days of Advent, the final moments before Christmas. The time of preparation is almost over. We see the signs all around us – including here, in the Christmas crèche, where all the figures are poised, frozen in time, bending over an empty manger.

That is where we find ourselves this Sunday: everything is ready, and all we can do now is wait.

The other day I was reading about the Christmas crèche they are putting up at the Vatican, in St. Peter’s Square. Their nativity scene will be unveiled tomorrow. Last year, the designers set the nativity scene in a tent, almost as if the Holy Family were part of a tribe of nomads. This year, they have taken their inspiration directly from this gospel passage we just heard. The scene unfolds not in a stable, or a cave – but in Joseph’s carpenter shop – illustrating how, as the gospel puts it, Joseph “took them into his home.”

We tend to forget that part of the story – Joseph the homeowner, and caretaker, and laborer. I think many of us tend to think primarily of Mary and Jesus during Christmas. Even the most famous song of the season describes what is happening “round yon virgin, mother and child.” Joseph isn’t in the picture. Where did he go? To Walgreens to get Pampers?

But by placing the nativity scene in Joseph’s carpentry shop, the Vatican restores Joseph to a place of prominence, as a man worthy of the “other annunciation.” A man of great trust and steadfast faith – who dreams, who listens, and who follows. And as this gospel reminds us, Joseph became the FIRST to do what each of us is called to do: he took Mary and Jesus into his home.

He made a home for them, and made a family for them. Who of us would do any less?

For weeks now we have been told – first by Isaiah, then by John the Baptist -- to prepare the way for the Lord. In these last hours before Christmas, we can take it one step further, and prepare to do what Joseph did – to welcome the savior into our home, and to let our lives be a workshop, a place where we create something holy and wonderful for God.

It takes time and it takes patience. Just as in Joseph’s workshop, there will be sawdust. There will be shavings and splinters. But each of us can dream of making of our lives a beautiful piece of work – a work that is truly one-of-a-kind.

And: ultimately, I think, that is also God’s great dream for us.

Our hope and prayer on this final Sunday of Advent is to welcome Jesus as Joseph did – and to make God’s dream come true.