Trusting God When You Have No Good Options | 4th Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)
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
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#Advent2024 #4thSundayOfAdvent #CatholicReadings #StJoseph #Isaiah7 #BibleStudy #Dominicans #KnowBeforeYouGo #FaithOverFear #GospelReflection #Emmanuel
