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Commentary on the Gospel – December 20, 2025
The Virgin shall conceive and bear a son
Dear brothers and sisters, peace and all good to you.
Throughout this Advent, we’ve been reminded that this is a season for conversion—a chance we shouldn’t let slip away. We need to “level the paths” to welcome the Great Lord. In ancient times, cities expecting a great king would fix up their roads so the procession could travel easily; they didn’t want the king’s entourage to pass them by because the road was too rough. That is exactly what we need to do.
You might argue that there’s no time left, that the Lord is already here. But that’s not true. A single moment is enough to turn our hearts around. Sometimes a second can be a very long time—just ask basketball players, who can win or lose a game in less than a second! All we have to do is “drop the extra weight” so the balloon of our souls can fly high toward heaven. Most of the time, the weight holding us down is tied to us by routine, laziness, or pride. With God’s help, we can let go of all that in an instant.
Because no one has a God as close as ours. “God with us” becomes man; bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh—our Brother. He sets up His tent among ours. He becomes our neighbor. Today, we might say He moved into the apartment right across from us. God becomes human. And if God becomes human, then being human is the greatest thing you can be. God is one of us. But even that isn’t enough for our God; this “God with us” becomes “God in us.” He comes to us and makes His home within us. He isn’t just our neighbor anymore; He is part of us, my very life, through the gift of His Spirit, which is the life of God.
We begin with a sign in the first reading. The young woman Isaiah mentions is the king’s wife. This girl—the prophet assures us—will have a son named “Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” This son would succeed his father and keep the dynasty going. The sign came true: King Ahaz’s son was born and became a sign of God’s presence among His people; he was proof that the Lord is faithful to His promises.
His name was Hezekiah, and the title “Immanuel” fit him well. He was a reasonably good king, but certainly not the exceptional ruler Isaiah might have expected. That is why Israel began to wait for another king, another son of David who would fully fulfill the prophecy—someone who truly was “God with us.” Matthew points Him out in today’s Gospel: He is the son of the Virgin Mary.
In the second reading, we find the beginning of Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul introduces himself using the titles that give him the authority to speak to the Christians in Rome. He reminds us that he is an apostle, a messenger of the Gospel, and a servant of the Lord Jesus. He makes it clear that his authority to start new communities and appoint leaders comes from Christ. With that authority, he shares the Good News everywhere, even through hardships. He calls himself a “servant” of Christ Jesus. In the ancient world, servants weren’t respected, but Paul sees it through the lens of the Old Testament: the “servants” were the greats—Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, and Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant.”
Finally, the Gospel tells us about Jesus’ birth through the story of Saint Joseph. After they were betrothed—which was like a year-long engagement—Joseph sees that Mary is pregnant. He knows he isn’t the father. We can only imagine his pain and frustration, seeing his dreams of a home fall apart. He was in love with Mary. He suffered in silence and trusted God. Then, an angel spoke to him in a dream. In that dream, Joseph discovered he was to be the companion and co-protagonist of the most amazing story in human history: that the mighty God would take flesh in Mary’s womb, and that he, Joseph, would help the Child God take His first steps in life. As soon as he woke up, he went to Mary. She knew immediately that God had spoken to him. Together, they started their new life.
It’s no wonder we have such a deep devotion to Saint Joseph. Saint Teresa of Avila often said that everything she placed in Joseph’s hands came true. His protection reaches from the entire Church down to the smallest village. Today is a wonderful day to remember and honor Saint Joseph, and to place our needs in his hands.
The Lord is coming soon. Let’s use these remaining hours to improve our “inner roads”—and our outer ones, too! Let’s find our peace again and fill our hearts with hope, as the Pope asks of us. We wait in peace, with hearts ready to witness the greatest miracle in history: that God became man so that we could be truly happy.
Your brother in faith,