4th Sunday of Advent Year A - 2013

Nowadays when you hear the word Fiat you think of the those little cars that drive off a cliff in Italy and drive out of the water in Brooklyn.

However fiat means a lot more than a car’s name.

We all know the story of the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and informed her that she would have a child through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mary’s response to the Angel was simply "Fiat."

Let it be done

With her fiat Mary overcame her confusion and her fears and said yes to God’s request or God’s plan. 

And by her fiat Mary gave Jesus, the very Son of God, to each one of us.

But Mary’s was not the only yes that God needed for His plan.

Today the Church asks us to reflect on St. Joseph and his fiat or his yes.

God also needed Joseph’s yes because without his support, and protection and guidance, Mary would not have been able to go it alone.

Joseph’s yes was just as difficult as Mary’s.
We don’t know how Joseph found about about Mary’s pregnancy.
We don’t know if she told him and tried to explain her encounter with the Angel or not.
We don’t know if he found out from someone else.
We don’t know if the families had a meeting to discuss the situation. 

We do know however he found out, that it did not give him peace.
He was confused and hurt.
He must have been worried about what people would think.
He must have been concerned that they would think the baby was his out of wedlock.
He must have been concerned about Mary and how she would take care of a baby without him. 
From everything we know about St. Joseph we know that he loved Mary and was willing to sacrifice anything for her.

He wanted to do the right things and so he decided to divorce Mary quietly and not subject her to the brutality of the law.

In other words Joseph got it wrong… his plan was not what God needed him to do. 


So once again God sent the Angel Gabriel to Joseph in a dream to give him comfort and show him what God need him to do.


From the moment he woke Joseph lived his fiat, his yes.
 
He took Mary into his home protecting her, providing for her and caring for her and her child without fear or reserve. 

It should be a comfort to us that both Mary and Joseph found it difficult to follow God’s plan.

Like Mary and Joseph God needs our yes God needs our fiat.

We too are asked to bring Christ Jesus into the world.
Like St. Joseph we have lots of worries and concerns.
What will people think ?
I’m to busy ?
What about what I want ?
I’ve forgiven enough already why does God want me to forgive again ?
I”m not worthy.

Yet like Mary and like Joseph God has a plan for each of our lives and all of us are an essential piece in the puzzle of God’s Divine plan.


Without our fiat
Without our yes to God’s plan
The world will be a little poorer our.
Our families will be a little poorer


Without our personal yes something that God needs to get done will not be done

Let us live thoughtful reflective lives.

Let us discern our place in God’s loving plan and no matter what worries or fears or concerns that we may have us let us say yes with open generous hearts just like Mary and like Joseph.

Amen