Homily for December 18, 2025
Matt 1: 18-25
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.
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| St. Joseph's Dream (Champaigne) |
Matthew’s
short account of the Savior’s birth, which we’ll hear again on Sunday,
emphasizes the divine origin of Mary’s son and the name to be given to him.
By
the power of the Spirit, Mary’s able to conceive and give birth to the Savior
of the human race. Joseph has no part in
that.
St.
Leo the Great teaches us, “Thru the same Spirit by whom Christ was conceived and
brought forth, we too might be born in a spiritual birth.”[1] When the Holy Spirit who brought divinity to
Mary comes upon us in Baptism, we’re given a share of divine life, a share that
is deepened in the Holy Eucharist and will culminate in union with God in
eternity.
Joseph
is instructed to name the child Jesus—Yeshua, YHWH saves. And Joseph does so. Bestowing a name legitimizes the child as his
legal son and connects him to David’s family.
(We learn from Luke that Mary is related to her relative Elizabeth,
descended from Aaron—thus not of the tribe of Judah, not related to David.)
Jesus’
purpose in this mystery of the incarnation is salvation—salvation not from the
trials of life, not from economic or political oppressions, but from sin. Sin is the one thing that un-divinizes us,
the one thing that can separate us from God, from the destiny God intends,
viz., that we be images of God as he created us to be (cf. Gen 1:27).
We
pray that we who are weighed down by slavery to sin may be set free (collect)
by the power of God, by our acceptance and adherence to Yeshua.
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