Fourth Sunday of Advent (A) 2019
INTRO:
ASK: HONESTY NOW….. Raise your hands if someone has accused you of “talking too much”!!!
I thought so! LOL
I have been accused of such as well. Even back when I was in the second grade the Notre Dame Sister wrote to my parents: IF JAMES WOULDN”T TALK SO MUCH , HE WOULD DO A LOT BETTER! I am simply a talker, not a bad thing, but, we, as followers of JESUS, also need to be “LISTENERS” as well!!!!
My father would say to me…
“LOOK AT ME AND LISTEN TO ME!”
BUT, on this fourth Sunday of Advent I am referring to another kind of “listening”!
I am referring to a spiritual kind of listening. The SPIRITUAL KIND of listening that Saint Joseph did as we heard today. If he didn’t have that kind of posture, (spiritual listening trait) his intention to divorce her quietly would have happened!
Do you understand what I mean about this listening trait? Somehow Joseph’s mind was ready and OPEN for an interruption from on high!
Are our minds ready for that kind of interruption from on high?
I would say some of you are, but, there are some of us who just keep on talking, working, moving, functioning, controlling and leave no “breathing room” in our lives for the “SPIRIT” to come into our minds, hearts, and souls.
A tall order for me to suggest to you to SLOW DOWN in this busy season, but, God always wants to interrupt us and make suggestions, believe me! We just have to PAUSE and listen.
I bet many of you are going to be with family this next week and so on…. Wonder if you are going to see YOUNG PEOPLE that you haven’t seen for a while???
Some talking and finding out what’s going on with them occurs… you may even ask the typical questions:
“What are you going to be?”
“What are you studying these days?”
“What kind of job do you have?”
Perhaps you can re-phrase these questions to help them “SPIRITUALLY LISTEN”? ASK:
“What does GOD want you to be?”
“What does God want you studying these days?”
“What kind of job does God want you to have?”
CONCLUSION
Anyway, Joseph had that trait to listen and teaches the church that our lives can be led by God if we just listen.