Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

Know Before You Go

Trusting God When You Have No Good Options | 4th Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)

Know Before You Go

Welcome to Know Before You Go for the 4th Sunday of Advent! In this week's reflection, Father Scott Steinkerchner, OP, dives into the difficult decisions faced by two men separated by centuries: St. Joseph and King Ahaz. Both men found themselves in situations with seemingly "no good options." In the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph discovers Mary is pregnant and believes his only choices are to divorce her quietly or expose her to shame. Meanwhile, in the first reading from Isaiah, King Ahaz faces a terrifying political invasion and thinks his only choice is to surrender his sovereignty to Assyria. This video explains the deep historical context behind the "Emmanuel" prophecy in Isaiah 7 and how St. Joseph succeeded where King Ahaz failed—by trusting that God can create a "third option" where we see none. 🙏 In this episode, we explore:

  • The Gospel (Matthew 1): Joseph's dream and the Angel's intervention.
  • The History (Isaiah 7): Who was King Ahaz and why was he afraid?
  • The Prophecy: The meaning of "Emmanuel" (God is with us).
  • The Second Reading (Romans 1): St. Paul’s humility and the unity of faith.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction & Welcome from Fr. Scott 00:38 - The Gospel: Joseph’s dilemma regarding Mary 01:49 - The connection to the "Emmanuel" prophecy 02:18 - Historical Context: King Ahaz and the Assyrian threat 03:30 - Ahaz’s choice: Trust God or make a political deal? 04:36 - "I will not ask for a sign": The sin of feigned holiness 05:12 - The Prophecy given: A Virgin shall conceive 06:06 - How Joseph succeeded where Ahaz failed 07:10 - Second Reading: St. Paul introduces himself to Rome 09:15 - "Grace to you and peace": finding unity in faith 09:59 - Conclusion: Getting through impossible situations

#Hashtags:

#Advent2024 #4thSundayOfAdvent #CatholicReadings #StJoseph #Isaiah7 #BibleStudy #Dominicans #KnowBeforeYouGo #FaithOverFear #GospelReflection #Emmanuel

Dominican recording video

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    The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the word for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, pondering Paul's words that we should live a life worthy of the call of the One God who is over all and in all, acknowledging that if God is in us, then God is in our enemies and in all of creation. Thus, we must share the blessings we receive from God with others, even when we think them small, and God will make sure they enough for all.

    Readings: 2 Kings 4:42–44, Ephesians 4:1–6, John 6:1–15
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    The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    Readings: Jeremiah 23:1–6; Ephesians 2:13–18; Mark 6:30–34
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    The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    Readings: Amos 7:12–15, Ephesians 1:3–14, Mark 6:7–13
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    The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    Readings: Ezekiel 2:2-5, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Mark 6:1-6
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    The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    Based on Mark 5:21–43
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    The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    Readings: Job 38:1, 8–11, 2 Corinthians 5:14–17, Mark 4:35–41
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    The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    Readings: Ezekiel 17:22–24, 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, Mark 4:26–34
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    The Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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    The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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    Readings: Exodus 24:3–8, Hebrews 9:11–15, Mark 14:12–16, 22–26
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    Fr. Brendan Curran, OP breaks open the readings for Trinity Sunday. God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit points towards the abundance of God's presence as creator, redeemer, and sustainer.
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    The Ascension of the Lord

    Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Feast of the Ascension, contrasting how the disciples were told to wait for the Holy Spirit, but were also to go out and use those gifts to preach the Good News to the ends of the earth.
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    The Sixth Sunday of Easter

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    Readings: Acts 10:25-26,​34-35,​44-48, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17
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    The Fifth Sunday of Easter

    Fr. Brendan Curran, OP breaks open the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are the branches. We are bound to him and to one another, and if we stay so bound, we can produce much fruit. We are constantly threatened to give up and let ourselves be torn apart, but we need to stand against that.
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    The Fourth Sunday of Easter

    Fr. Brian Walker, OP breaks open the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, reminding us that as Christians, we are all called to shepherd one another. Sometimes that can be unpleasant, or dirty, or smelly, but is is also rewarding and where we find our salvation.
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    The Third Sunday of Easter

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    Palm Sunday

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    The Fourth Sunday of Lent

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    The Third Sunday of Lent

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    The Second Sunday of Lent

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    The First Sunday of Lent

    Fr. James Marchionda, OP breaks open the readings for the first Sunday of Lent where we hear of Jesus's temptation in the desert, where he was tempted to give up up on God. That is the basic temptation, and Jesus refused to let go of God. Can we hold on to our own faith as well, whatever hardships and challenges come our way?
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