4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (A)

INTRO: A man injured his thumb on the job and was told by the supervisor to go to the clinic.

He stepped inside the clinic and found an empty room….and at the back of the room….2 doors.

One marked “ILLNESS” “INJURY”
So, he walks through the door marked: “INJURY.”

He found himself in the second room.
“INTERNAL” “EXTERNAL”
“It is my thumb: “EXTERNAL.”

Now he walks into yet another empty room.
“THERAPY” “TREATMENT”
Well, I do not need therapy…….

!!!!!Another room with two doors”
“MAJOR” “MINOR”

This really is MINOR, so…. he walks through…………….and finds himself outside on the street!

The guy shook his head, went back to work and the supervisor asked: “Were they able to help you?”

He said, “Not really, but it sure is the best organized outfit I have ever seen!”

Most everyone craves orderliness and a planned routine!

The Scriptures call us to look at JOSEPH and how his organized life JUST WASN’T, how his life UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED, and how well he adjusted to the mysteriously offered CHANGES to his life with Mary.

So, the morale is: The coming of JESUS brings change into our world, and our world no longer remains OUR WORLD but His world with you and me going along for the ride, the journey.

Going with His unexpected diversions for us is what JOSEPH and MARY did and models this for you and me.

Our lives have these “situations” that always cannot be planned as we expect.

So, when these things happen………….it takes a certain TRUST and RESOLVE.
The key is found in the personalities of JOSEPH and MARY. They quietly kept things in their heart and did not cry out with WHY ME?

CONCLUSION:

Everyone calls this THE SEASON OF WONDER.
The TRUE wonder of this season is the Spirit of GOD that inspires you and me and animates our actions to allow “the mystery” of what comes our way in life to unfold for us and to enable us to go along for the ride.

Merry Christmas!