Sunday of the Fourth Week of Advent

December 18, 2016

Today’s Thought from Scripture:  Matthew 1:18-21

Teresa-21Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Today’s Gospel reading reminds us that to grow in love does not necessarily mean to feel more loving, but to choose what is best for the beloved. Feelings are not always the most reliable indicator of right and wrong. But God gives light to those who ask for it, and reveals his will to those who want to do it.

Where do you need the light of love to shine in your life? Ask God, and he will send it.

Blessed Mother,

Who labored to bring forth the Light of the World from the darkness,

Pray for us, that the love of Christ will shine in our hearts,

And in the cradle of our homes.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

To read the full readings for today, click here.

Advent Reflections Courtesy of:

heidi-2013Heidi is a wife and adoptive mother, contributing writer to WINE, and author of Advent with Saint Teresa of Calcutta and the follow-up companion, Lent with Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Servant, released January 2017). Heidi received a graduate degree in theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit in 2012, having converted to the Catholic faith in 1995 from the evangelical tradition. She met her husband, Craig, at the University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Club, and lives with her family (including two special-needs teenagers, a longsuffering Aussie shepherd and a snuggly Chiweenie) near South Bend, Indiana.