Full of love

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today marks our 4th and last week of Advent. We’ve journeyed from celebrating hope, peace, joy, and finally, this week, we prepare ourselves to celebrate love – the greatest gift one could receive – what we all ultimately desire! In our first reading, we speak of the birth of a child – a child who will be called “Emmanuel”. The name Emmanuel has a significant meaning – it means, “God is with us”. Thus, here we discover that, from the very beginning, since the Old Testament, the birth of God, Jesus Christ, was expected! 

Our Gospel reading focuses a lot on the way our Blessed Mother got pregnant. It is emphasised that it was through the Holy Spirit that Mary was able to bear Jesus. This is a crucial point. First of all, it is good we know that, since Jesus is God and God has no “beginning”, Jesus could not conceived ordinarily – since fertilisation entails a “beginning of life”. But, apart from this, the fact that Mother Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit attests to her oneness with God the Father. It is because Mary was so perfectly close to the Father that she was able to receive the Holy Spirit so fully and directly! Thus, it was because she was full of love (both for others and for God), that she was able to give birth to the Son of God – who is love itself. 

Let us now take a moment to reflect upon the expression “God is with us”. What does this expression really mean? In what ways is God with us?  

  1. God is with us when He forgives us. The name “Jesus” is the Greek version of “Joshua,” which means “the Lord saves”. Jesus saves us by becoming our substitute. In his teaching, his ministry, his perfect sinless life, his death and his resurrection, Jesus showed us that God is not only with us, but that he is “for us”.
  2. God is with us in our charity and in our relationships. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus tells us that where two or three of us gather, in his name, he will be with us! While we no longer see his physical presence among us, we can be assured that he is with us. As the Church, we are his body. Wherever we are, God is there as well.
  3. God is with us in our pain and our doubt. Psalm 34:18 tells us that the “Lord is close to the broken-hearted and that He saves those who are crushed in spirit”. Jesus’ love is infinite and he knows very well what it means to be broken and betrayed. His love extends to us during even our darkest hours – we simply need to let Him in, to let Him love us.

Of course, there are more instances in which God is with us. Indeed, we can say that God is with us always. But the point to emphasise this Advent is our need to make an effort to receive this love and to experience God’s presence! God wants to be born in us. Yet we need to extend our hearts too – just as Mother Mary did. Jesus was born in Mary, and he wants to be born in you and me too. How will we let him in? 

“We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us.”– Meister Eckhart, 1260-1328, German Dominican monk

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew 1:18-24)

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel story is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. Is there something which you found difficult to do this Advent? In what ways can you extend and perfect your love for others, for yourself, and for God? 
  4. Take a moment to reflect upon how much God loves you. Are you aware of how much he loves you? There isn’t a need for many words. Simply open your heart and invite Him to fill you with His unconditional and unique love. 
  5. Together with your family find the right time to read this Gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare;
    i. The Bible reading from Matthew (Mt 1:18-24)
    ii. A candle
    iii. Cover the table with a violet cloth
    v. A computer/laptop with the readings and clips
  6. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested).
  7. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  8. Be creative 😊 
  9. Go to the Prayer Corner section to continue praying as a family. 

Today we hear how an angel appeared to Joseph to tell him what a special baby Jesus would be. We are going to be thinking about parents and babies from around the world.

  • About Joseph’s love for God and about how precious human life is!
  • Whiteboard marker
  • Whiteboard
  • Pencil
  • Paper

What do you remember from the story you just heard?

In this story, an angel comes to tell Joseph that everything will be all right and that Jesus is not just an ordinary baby, but that He is very special. He is the son of God. God chose to become a human being, and this means that humanity is very precious to God!

But, reflecting on the story we just heard, how do you think Joseph feels in this story? Do you think he felt shocked? Provide some minutes for the children to reflect.

Joseph was shocked, but out of love for God and for Mary, Joseph still chose to trust God’s plan and remain Mary’s husband. 

Now, let me ask you. Who here has a baby brother or sister? What is their name? They need lots of looking after, right? Even though they are very small, babies need lots of things to make sure that they are happy. Can you think of some of the things that babies need? (Food, warmth, love and attention, sleep, somewhere to live).

No matter where in the world they are born, babies need the same basic things. Sometimes it is hard for families to provide all of these things because of what is happening around them. 

In Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and other places, some people had to leave their home because of a war.  Because of the war, houses, food and other things that the baby needs, like nappies, have become very expensive. 

It is important to keep in mind that God loves us all, even the tiniest baby. So, as we get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should think about all the other babies and people around the world and how special they are too. In the coming week, perhaps we can keep babies, children and also their parents around the world in our prayers!

Short Reflection: Joseph had a dream and the angel came to tell him how special Jesus was going to be. What is your dream for our world? How can the world be better, and how can we help?

Sign of the Cross.

Loving God, as we wait for the birth of Jesus at Christmas, we give thanks for the wonderful gift of life. We pray for all parents around the world and for their children, that they will be healthy, happy and love one another. Amen! 

In today’s the gospel, we hear how an angel appeared to Joseph how that Joseph did as the angel told him.

  • That Jesus was born because mother Mary loved God the Father perfectly!
  • Whiteboard marker
  • Whiteboard

Christmas is getting closer! This, often, is the time when we begin to panic about all of the things we need to do between now and December 25th. But today, let’s try to take a breather from all the worry and our fast-paced life, and let us try to let the spirit of Advent visit us and our family.

Ask the children to gather for a few minutes to talk about how their Advent is going so far. Talk about the ups and downs of the Advent season, what you have done to prepare for the arrival of Jesus, and what you would still like to do.

Some reflection Questions

  • Have you learned anything new about yourself this Advent?
  • What did you do this season which you are most proud of?
  • It there anything about this Advent which you found difficult?
  • Is there any preparation for the coming of Jesus which you would still like to do?
  • How did we grow closer as a family this Advent?
  • Did you learn anything from the bible which you didn’t know before?

Finally, after exploring the above questions, outline that at Christmas we remember Christ’s birth, but rarely do we talk about the reason he was born. Jesus came to Earth as a baby so He could live a sinless life as a man and be the sacrifice for our sin. That’s a love greater than any love we’ve ever known. That’s the real meaning of Christmas!Talk to the children about how Christmas is a time we show love for others. Ask them what are some of the ways they can show love for others. Don’t just talk about giving presents. We can show love by being kind to each other, helping each other, and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Christmas is a great time to show love because God showed His love for us when His Son, Jesus, was born. The story doesn’t just end in the manger. Jesus gave His life for us. That’s the highest expression of love!

Sign of the cross.

Dear Father, the whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four-letter word…love. You sent your gift of pure love to us – that’s  Christmas. Love descended from heaven to be born of a virgin. Love lay in the hay of a manger in a meagre barn in Bethlehem. All of your love, God, was robed in the delicate skin of a baby and wrapped in clothes. This final week of Advent, help us to reflect on the magnitude of love that was made manifest in Jesus. Help us love others as much as you love us – with an unconditional love!

Coming soon.

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.