4th Sunday of Advent Year A - Homily on Matthew 1:18–24, The annunciation to Joseph

 

4^th Sunday of Advent Year A - Homily on Matthew 1:18–24

(The Annunciation to Joseph)

Today’s Gospel, gives us a powerful and tender glimpse into the heart of Saint Joseph.

And though Joseph never speaks a single word in Scripture, his life communicates a message the Church needs desperately today.

His obedience, his courage, and his faith show us what it means to trust God when life does not unfold the way we planned.

Matthew begins by telling us that Joseph was a “righteous man.”

In Scripture, righteousness is not about being flawless or rigid.

It means you are in right relationship with God—someone whose heart tries to beat in harmony with God’s will.

And yet this righteous man finds himself in a situation that would break anyone’s heart.

He learns that Mary, his betrothed, is with child.

It must have felt like the world stopped.

Everything he dreamed, everything he envisioned—a simple life, a holy marriage, a peaceful home—suddenly collapses.

Joseph is confused.

He is hurt.

He is afraid.

He is standing in a kind of darkness.

It’s important to say this clearly: Holiness does not mean we never experience fear, confusion, or pain.

Holiness means that when fear arrives, we respond with trust.

When confusion enters, we seek God’s voice.

When pain touches our heart, we choose love over anger.

That is exactly what Joseph does.

Even before the angel comes, he chooses mercy over pride.

He chooses to protect Mary rather than expose her.

His first instinct is compassion.

And then—right when Joseph feels lost—God speaks.

“Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

For the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

In that moment, Joseph learns that the very thing that caused him the greatest fear is the very place God is working most powerfully.

And, brothers and sisters, that is still true today.

Very often, the place in your life that feels uncertain, heavy, or frightening is precisely the place where God is preparing something new.

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Let me share a short but meaningful story of A Father’s Yes

Some years ago, I knew a young couple who were expecting their first child.

They were filled with that beautiful mix of joy and nervous excitement.

But at their 20-week appointment, the doctor delivered heartbreaking news:

the baby would be born with significant medical complications.

They did not know if the child would survive, and if he did, he would need multiple surgeries.

The father was devastated.

His plans, his expectations, everything he imagined about becoming a dad suddenly felt unstable.

He told me one day, with tears in his eyes, “Deacon Pat, I don’t know how to be the father this child will need. I don’t feel ready.”

But something remarkable happened.

Each night, he would place his hand gently on his wife’s belly and whisper:

“I’m scared… but I’m here. I’m yours.”

When the baby was born, tiny and fragile, hooked up to tubes and machines, the father stood beside that little incubator, placed his hand on that tiny hand, and whispered again:

“I’m scared… but I’m here.”

Over the next months, the child slowly grew stronger.

And I will never forget one particular moment:

I walked into a parish festival and saw that father lifting his son into the air—laughing, smiling, playing.

The fear that once felt overwhelming had been transformed into courage, and that courage had blossomed into love.

The father later said, “I didn’t understand it at first, but saying yes—even when I was terrified—changed everything.

It didn’t just make me a father. It changed my heart.”

When he said this, I thought immediately of Saint Joseph—the quiet, faithful father who said yes even without understanding the path ahead.

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What is Joseph’s Example for Us Today?

Joseph teaches us that authentic faith is not based on having all the answers.

Authentic faith is saying yes to God even when the road is unclear.

Joseph did not know what the future would hold.

He didn’t know how to raise the Son of God.

He didn’t know how they would survive the journey to Bethlehem.

He didn’t know about the flight into Egypt.

He didn’t know about the hidden years in Nazareth.

But he trusted.

And he obeyed.

And he loved.

And because of his trust, Jesus entered the world.

This is a powerful message for us—because every single person here has a place in their life that feels confusing, uncertain, or burdensome.

Maybe you carry a worry about your children.

Maybe you are facing an illness.

Maybe you’re struggling with finances, or loneliness, or a relationship that’s hurting.

Maybe something in your life is not turning out the way you hoped.

And like Joseph, you might feel like saying,

“Lord, I don’t understand.

Why is this happening?

What am I supposed to do?”

And just as He said to Joseph, God speaks to you today:
“Do not be afraid.”

Not because the road will be easy.

But because God is with you in every moment—in every uncertainty, every decision, every storm, every joy, every burden.

And like Joseph, your yes—even a trembling yes—allows Jesus to enter your life more deeply.

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Joseph, the Guardian of Jesus—and of Us

Think of what Joseph’s yes accomplished.

He became the protector of the Holy Family.

He shielded Mary and the infant Christ from danger.

He built a home where Jesus could grow in wisdom and strength.

In the same way, your yes has power.

When you say yes to God:

• you protect the people entrusted to you
• you bring Christ into your home
• you create a place where faith can grow
• you shape the future in ways you may never fully see

Joseph didn’t realize that his ordinary, quiet obedience would echo across centuries.

And your faithfulness—your hidden sacrifices, your love, your courage—will echo in your family and your parish for generations.

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An Invitation for This Season

As we reflect on this Gospel, I invite you to ask:

Where is God asking me to trust Him right now?
Where is God saying, “Do not be afraid”?
Where is God inviting me to say yes—even if I’m unsure?

Maybe it’s forgiving someone.
Maybe it’s letting go of anger.
Maybe it’s deepening your prayer life.
Maybe it’s taking a step toward healing.
Maybe it’s saying yes to a responsibility that feels heavy.
Maybe it’s opening your heart to something new God is doing.

Like Joseph, we may not see the whole path.
But like Joseph, we can say yes to the God who walks with us.

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, Joseph’s life teaches us this profound truth:
God’s plans are often beyond our understanding,
but they are never beyond His love.

May we learn from Joseph
to listen when God whispers,
to trust when God leads,
to obey when God calls,
and to say yes—even in our fear—
so that Christ may be born anew in our lives.

Amen.

By your perseverance you will secure your lives (33rd Sunday Ordinary Time - Year C)

 

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 21:5–19

(“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”)

Today’s Gospel gives us words that can shake us.

Jesus speaks of destruction, wars, earthquakes, persecution…

He tells His disciples that even the beautiful Temple — the pride of Jerusalem — will be torn down stone by stone.

You can imagine their shock.

The Temple was everything to them — it was their place of worship, their security, their proof that God was near.

And yet Jesus says: “Not one stone will be left upon another.”

Why would He say that?

Because He wants them — and us — to understand that faith cannot be built on things that crumble.

Even the most sacred building, the strongest nation, the best of plans… can fall.

But the heart that trusts in God — that endures.

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1. Jesus isn’t warning us to fear — He’s inviting us to trust.

Jesus is not trying to frighten His followers; He’s preparing them for reality.

He’s saying: “Your faith can’t depend on comfort, or calm, or control.”

Because those things change.

What matters most is perseverance — the kind of faith that doesn’t give up when the world shakes.

The early Christians knew this.

They faced ridicule, rejection, even death.

Yet they stood firm — not because they were fearless, but because they knew Who walked with them.

Jesus promised:

“Not a hair on your head will be destroyed.

By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.”

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2. A Story of Faith in the Fire

Let me a simple story with you.

There was a young mother named Clare, raising three kids in

poor city neighborhood.

Her husband had left, her job barely covered the bills, and her oldest child started drifting into trouble.

She told her pastor, “I’m tired. I feel like everything’s falling apart.”

And he said, “Then hold onto the one thing that won’t fall apart — your faith.”

So every morning before work, she lit a candle before a small image of the Sacred Heart and prayed,

“Lord, I can’t fix everything — but I trust You’ll walk with me through it.”

Months later, when things finally began to turn around — she said,

“It wasn’t the world that changed first — it was my heart that stopped giving up.”

That, my friends, is perseverance.

That is faith that refuses to quit — even when life gets messy.

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3. So, What Does This Means for Us Today

Every one of us here has our own “Temple.”

For some, it’s our health.

For others, it’s our home, our work, our sense of control, our plans for the kids, or our dreams for the future.

And when any of those start to fall apart, it shakes us to the core.

But Jesus says, “Do not be terrified.”

Because when the world around us trembles — God hasn’t gone anywhere.

He’s right there in the middle of the storm, waiting for us to look up and say,

“Jesus, I still trust You.”

He’s not calling us to fear what’s coming —

He’s calling us to trust Who’s coming.

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4. So what does Perseverance in Everyday Life looklike?

Now perseverance doesn’t mean never being afraid.

It means showing up anyway.

It’s the father who still brings his family to Mass, even when the

kids fidget and life feels heavy.

It’s the grandmother who keeps praying her rosary every night,

even when her knees ache.

It’s the mother who cooks, cleans, and loves even when exhausted.

It’s the young adult who stays faithful in a world that tells them faith is old-fashioned.

That’s perseverance.

That’s the kind of quiet courage that builds holiness.

And you know — in our small parish, we see it every day.

We see it in the volunteers who clean and decorate the church,

In those who joyfully serve as sacristans, readers, altar servers, and extra ordinary Eucharistic ministers,

in parents who juggle jobs and still teach their children to make

the Sign of the Cross and pray together to God every night,

in those who carry hidden burdens but still smile and say, “Thanks be to God.”

That’s the strength Jesus speaks of today.

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5. And then there is The Hope of the Gospel

Jesus never promised His followers an easy road.
He promised something better — His presence on the road.

He said, “I will be with you always.”

And when Jesus is with you, even the hardest trial becomes a path to grace.

The same Lord who foretold the Temple’s fall

is the same Lord who rose from the tomb.

He brings life from loss, and glory from suffering.

So when we look at the world — the chaos, the violence, the uncertainty —

don’t let your heart be troubled.

Because the story doesn’t end with destruction…
It ends with resurrection.

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6. Closing: A Call to Faith

My friends, as we gather here in this little church —

as families, neighbors, and people of faith —

let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us that same holy perseverance.

To help us love when it’s hard,

to forgive when we’re tired,

to hope when we can’t see the outcome.

Because one day, when all the stones of this world have fallen,
what will remain is the soul that stood firm in Christ.

And we will hear Him say,

“Well done, my good and faithful servant…

by your perseverance, you have secured your life.”

Amen.

Keep Praying - God Hears you (29th Sunday Ordinary Time - Year C)

 

Homily on Luke 18:1–8 (29^th Sunday Ordinary time Year C)

(The Parable of the Persistent Widow)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the persistent widow who refuses to give up in her plea for justice.

She keeps knocking, she keeps asking, she keeps pressing forward, until even an unjust judge finally gives in.

And Jesus tells us this parable as Saint Luke says, “to remind us that we should pray always and never lose heart.”

What a message for us today—pray always and never lose heart.

Think about the widow for a moment.

She had no power, no influence, no wealth, no position.

In her society, she was among the most vulnerable.

Yet what she had was perseverance.

She simply would not give up.

And in the end, she wore down even a corrupt judge.

Now if that’s true with a human judge who has no care for God, how much more will our loving Father hear our cries?

Jesus asks, “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?

Will He keep putting them off?”

The answer, of course, is no.

God hears. God cares. God answers.

But sometimes, like the widow, we are called to be persistent, to not give up when prayers seem unanswered, to trust that God is at work in ways we cannot yet see.

Let me share a story.

There was a young mother whose teenage son had wandered far from the Church.

He was angry, rebellious, and determined to live his own way.

She prayed for him every night, sometimes with tears, sometimes with doubts, but always with persistence.

For years, nothing seemed to change.

In fact, things even seemed to get worse.

Friends told her, “Maybe you should just stop worrying.

Maybe this is just who he is now.”

But she couldn’t stop.

She believed that God loved her son more than she did, and so she kept praying.

After nearly fifteen years, her son one day surprised her by saying he wanted to go to Mass.

Something had stirred in his heart.

Slowly, he returned not only to faith, but eventually even discerned a call to the priesthood.

That son was St. Augustine.

And that praying mother was St. Monica—whose persistence, whose refusal to give up, changed the course of the Church and the world.

Her prayers echo the widow’s persistence in the Gospel.

She is a living reminder of Jesus’ words: “Pray always and never lose heart.”

And I think this is where the Gospel meets our lives.

How often do we pray for something—a healing, a conversion, a new job, the strength to carry a cross—and when the answer doesn’t come quickly, we begin to doubt.

We start to think maybe God doesn’t hear, maybe God doesn’t care.

But faith is not about instant answers.

Faith is about relationship.

To keep praying is to keep trusting.

To keep praying is to keep holding on, even in the silence.

Prayer doesn’t always change God’s timing, but it always changes us—it keeps our hearts open, it strengthens us, it deepens our faith.

And at the end of the Gospel, Jesus asks a piercing question:

“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

That’s the real heart of the parable.

Will He find people who keep trusting, who keep praying, who keep believing, even when life is hard and answers are slow?

So today, brothers and sisters, let us hear Jesus’ encouragement:

Don’t give up.

Don’t stop praying.

If you’ve been praying for a child, a spouse, a friend—keep praying.

If you’ve been praying for healing—keep praying.

If you’ve been praying for guidance, for peace, for strength—keep praying.

Be like the persistent widow.

Be like St. Monica.

Pray always and never lose heart.

Because the God who loves us hears every prayer,

treasures every tear,

and in His time and His way, He will answer.

Amen.