Introduction
During Advent, the readings trace the full sweep of salvation history, providing the larger context in which the mystery of Christ’s birth can be rightly understood. Advent does more than prepare us for Christmas; it frames the Incarnation within God’s entire plan, from the Old Testament promises to the final fulfillment of the Kingdom.
On this final Sunday of Advent, the Church’s gaze narrows from the broad horizon of salvation history to the intimate moment in which God’s promise takes flesh. We now enter the sacred events that lead directly to the Nativity.
1st Reading – Isaiah 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
In our first reading, the Church invites us to hear anew the ancient promise spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call him Emmanuel.
First proclaimed to King Ahaz in a time of national crisis and fear, this prophecy now echoes across centuries as a foreshadowing of Christ’s birth. It assures us that God enters human history precisely when we are most in need of hope.
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
When Ahaz became king of Judah around 735 BC, he was immediately thrust into a geopolitical crisis. To resist the rising power of Assyria, the kings of Israel and Aram-Damascus (Syria) formed a military alliance and demanded that Judah join their coalition.
Judah’s refusal threatened the alliance’s survival, and the two kings responded with force — marching toward Jerusalem with the intent to depose Ahaz and install a puppet ruler. Surrounded by enemies and facing internal unrest, Ahaz stood at a crossroads.
Isaiah urges Ahaz not to rely on political maneuvering but to trust the Lord, inviting him to ask for a sign that would confirm both the truth of Isaiah’s message and God’s fidelity to the Davidic covenant.
But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Ahaz’s refusal sounds pious, echoing Deuteronomy 6:16 (“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”). However, in context, it’s a mask for political distrust. Ahaz has already decided to seek Assyrian help, rejecting divine assurance.
His refusal isn’t humility, it’s avoidance. He declines the sign because he doesn’t want to be bound by its implications.
Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God?
Isaiah responds in apparent exasperation. His formal address to the “house of David” indicates that the issue at hand relates to the monarchy and not merely with the personal life of the king. He is also reminding Ahaz of God’s promise of divine protection to King David.
Notice the shift from “your God” to “my God,” a subtle signal that Isaiah is distancing himself from Ahaz’s lack of faith.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
Even in the face of Ahaz’s unbelief, God remains faithful and provides the sign unasked.
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.
Many biblical prophecies function on multiple levels, offering an immediate fulfillment that confirms the prophet’s authority and a later, often deeper, fulfillment that reveals God’s larger purposes. The Hebrew term almah — “virgin” or more broadly “young woman of marriageable age” — likely refers here to a child soon to be born within Ahaz’s own dynasty.
Isaiah proclaimed this oracle before a court anxious that the Davidic line might collapse, threatening God’s promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). A royal child whose very presence signifies “God with us” would reassure Judah that, despite Ahaz’s disbelief, God remains faithful to his covenant. Ahaz did indeed have a son, Hezekiah, born to an almah at the time. As a far more faithful king than his father, Hezekiah embodied God’s continued presence and the ongoing fulfillment of the Davidic promise.
Yet the solemnity of the oracle and the name Emmanuel point beyond this immediate context to a deeper secondary meaning, one that foresees an ideal king from David’s line through whose coming God could finally be said to definitively be with his people.
This does not mean that Isaiah foresaw the fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ, but he certainly expressed a hope that Christ perfectly realized.
2nd Reading – Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today’s second reading is the opening lines of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. In it, Paul presents the heart of the gospel he is called to proclaim.
As Advent draws us near to the mystery of the Incarnation, Paul reminds us that the child soon to be born in Bethlehem is the long-awaited Messiah whose coming brings grace, faith, and the obedience of love to all nations.
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
Paul introduces himself with three titles — slave (doúlos), apostle (apóstolos), and one set apart (aphorisménos) — each expressing his total surrender to Christ and the divine initiative behind his mission.
Calling himself a slave may seem surprising, given his status as a Roman citizen, an educated rabbi, and an independent craftsman. Yet this title expresses Christ’s absolute lordship over his life and echoes the Old Testament tradition in which the faithful called themselves servants of the Lord (cf. Psalm 27:9; 31:16; 89:50). For Paul, it is a designation of highest honor.
The term apóstolos emphasizes that he is sent by another — not acting on his own authority, but commissioned by God to deliver a divine message.
His claim to be “set apart for the gospel” recalls Galatians 1:15, where he affirms that this calling was established before his birth, highlighting the providential nature of his vocation.
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
Paul immediately roots the gospel in the story of Israel.
The good news he preaches is not a novelty but the fulfillment of what God promised through the prophets.
the gospel about his Son,
Paul launches into a christological formula, starting with Jesus’ unique relationship to God as his Son (see Romans 8:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; and Galatians 4:4).
descended from David according to the flesh,
Jesus’ Davidic lineage situates him firmly in Israel’s history and identifies him as heir to God’s promises to David.
His true humanity and royal identity connect directly to today’s gospel reading, in which an angel addresses Joseph as “son of David.”
but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus is not only David’s son but God’s eternal Son.
Paul is not suggesting that the resurrection made Jesus divine; rather, the resurrection publicly manifested his divine Sonship “in power.”
The phrase “according to the spirit of holiness” reflects Paul’s Trinitarian faith: the Spirit reveals the risen Christ’s glory.
Thus, Paul affirms the full mystery of the Incarnation — Jesus is truly human and truly divine.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
Paul views his mission as a gift: apostleship is a grace received through Christ, not a status earned.
to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
His task is to lead the Gentiles to the “obedience of faith” — the wholehearted response that faith demands.
Christ’s name and glory are the goal of this mission.
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Paul personalizes the message for the audience of his letter: the Roman Christians, regardless of social rank, are God’s beloved, called to be holy people (hagíois).
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul concludes his greeting with a prayer for grace (the standard Greek blessing) and peace (the Jewish shalom), now united and flowing together from the Father and the Son.
For Advent, Paul’s words remind us that we too are called — set apart for Christ, drawn into the fulfillment of God’s promises, and invited to grow in holiness as we await the Savior’s coming.
Gospel – Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Each year on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the gospel reading turns our attention to the events that immediately precede the birth of the Lord.
This year, we hear Matthew’s account of how an angel appeared to Joseph, revealing that the child conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit.
Unlike Luke’s gospel, where the annunciation is made to Mary (Luke 1:26-38), Matthew places Joseph at the center of the revelation.
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
Matthew introduces his account of Jesus’ origins. He has just concluded Jesus’ genealogy in the verses prior; he now turns to the manner of Jesus’ conception — showing both continuity with Israel’s story and the divine initiative that exceeds it.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together,
In first-century Judaism, betrothal (kiddushin) created a legally binding union. The man and woman were already regarded as “husband” and “wife,” and ending the relationship required a writ of divorce.
Full marital life began only when the bride was formally brought into the groom’s home (Deuteronomy 20:7), at which time the union was usually consummated. This was followed by a seven-day wedding feast (Genesis 29:27, Judges 14:12), after which the couple began to live together.
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Notice how simply Matthew states his first major Christological claim: Jesus’ conception is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit.
Discovering that a betrothed woman was pregnant before consummating her marriage posed a grave dilemma. Under Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 22:23-27), any sexual contact between a betrothed woman and another man was considered adultery, punishable by death for both parties (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10).
Although Roman occupation made actual executions under Jewish law unlikely (cf. John 18:31), the consequences for Mary would still have been severe. If Joseph chose to repudiate her, she would face public shame, social exclusion, and the near impossibility of finding another Jewish man willing to marry her — placing her at risk of long-term economic insecurity in a society where a woman’s livelihood depended heavily on family and marital support.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.
Joseph’s righteousness is evident in his compassionate response to what must have appeared to be a devastating betrayal.
As a díkaios (“a righteous man,” i.e., faithful to God’s law), he could not marry someone who appeared to have so grossly violated the covenant.
Yet his righteousness includes mercy; he refuses to subject Mary to public disgrace. The quiet divorce allowed by Jewish practice seemed the only honorable route (Deuteronomy 23:13-21; Mishnah Sotah 1.1, 5).
Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
Dreams and angelic messengers are traditional modes of divine revelation in Scripture; here, Joseph receives both.
and said, “Joseph, son of David,
Note how the angel addresses Joseph by his Davidic lineage.
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
The directive to not be afraid points to the moral and social pressures of Joseph’s predicament.
In light of the Mosaic Law’s requirements of justice, it wouldn’t be honorable for him to assume the paternity of a child whom he knew wasn’t his. If the true paternity came to light, his failure to repudiate her could be seen as evidence of a disgraceful connivance on his part for her sin.
For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
The angel reveals the child’s true origin to Joseph and exonerates Mary of any impropriety.
Notice how Matthew again highlights the role of the Holy Spirit. This evokes Israel’s hope that the Spirit would inaugurate the messianic age.
That age begins here.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
According to the customs of the time, if a man named a child, he was declaring the child legally his own. The angel’s command leaves no doubt in Joseph’s mind that he is to be the child’s legal human father.
“Jesus,” the Greek form of the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), means “Yahweh saves.” This name is a link to Jesus’ mission: not liberation from political enemies, but salvation from sin — a startling and profound shift for a Jewish audience expecting a Davidic king who would liberate them from Rome.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
This is the first of Matthew’s ten “fulfillment” formula statements, which begin “this was to fulfill …” and are followed by a reference to the Old Testament.
They show that God’s plan unfolding in Christ is the culmination — not the cancellation — of Israel’s story.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
In this fulfillment statement, Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 in the Greek Septuagint form. There, the Hebrew almah (a young woman of marriageable age) is translated to Greek as parthénos (“virgin”).
Matthew and the Church, looking backward through the lens of the resurrection, see the birth of Christ from the Blessed Virgin Mary as the perfect fulfillment of this prophecy, foretold about seven hundred years earlier.
and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
This is amazing news. The birth of Jesus, as described here, initiates the Messianic age of salvation to which the whole Old Testament looks forward, and Jesus makes the presence of God among his people a physical reality.
Matthew intentionally echoes this at the end of his Gospel — “I am with you always” — framing the entire Gospel with the promise of divine presence.
For Catholics, this presence endures sacramentally in the Eucharist and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
“Every religion speaks of God or the gods. Many philosophies contain teachings about a supreme being or first cause. But the Bible alone indicates that God’s truest name and most distinctive quality is that he will be with us. In good times and bad, during periods of light and darkness, when we are rejoicing and grieving, God is stubbornly with us: Emmanuel.” —Bishop Robert Barron
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Joseph responds immediately and without reservation. In Matthew’s gospel, “awoke” often signifies not just rising from sleep but rising to a new understanding (cf. Matthew 8:15, 9:5-7, 17:7, 25:7).
Joseph is the obedient man of action whose every move is attentive to the will of God. Unlike King Ahaz in the first reading, Joseph trusts in God even when life is surprising and difficult — a choice that leads to joy and peace. Ahaz represents a life built on trusting things of the world — a choice that leads to anxiety and unfulfillment.
As we prepare to welcome Christ, Joseph becomes our model: attentive to God’s voice, prompt in obedience, and steadfast in love. Through such trust, Christ is welcomed not only into our homes but into our hearts.
Connections and Themes
- God keeps his promises, even when they seem impossible. In our first reading, King Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign, revealing not humility but a lack of trust — yet God gives a sign anyway: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. Centuries later, that seemingly impossible promise comes to fruition in Mary’s virginal conception, revealed to a stunned but faithful Joseph. Saint Paul begins his Letter to the Romans by proclaiming that this is the very gospel “promised beforehand” through the prophets. What God begins, God completes; his fidelity does not depend on human confidence. Advent invites us to rest in that faithfulness and to believe that nothing — neither circumstances nor our limitations — can thwart his saving plan.
- God is with his people in a new and definitive way. In our first reading, Isaiah announces that the child to be born will be called Emmanuel, “God-with-us” — a promise of divine presence that Israel longed for across the centuries. In the gospel reading, Matthew presents the fulfillment of this promise in Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit and his mission “to save his people from their sins.” In our second reading, Saint Paul proclaims the same Jesus as both Son of David and Son of God, the One through whom grace and peace are offered to all nations. Advent culminates in this revelation: the God of Israel does not remain distant but enters history, takes flesh, and remains with his people. Emmanuel is not a metaphor but a person — and his presence continues in the Church.
- Faith requires trust beyond appearances. In our first reading, King Ahaz cannot bring himself to trust God: he refuses the invitation to ask for a sign, hiding his fear behind religious language. Joseph, however, stands in sharp contrast. Faced with a crisis that appears devastating, he opens his life to God’s mysterious work and obeys the word given in the dream. Ahaz shows what happens when fear closes the heart; Joseph shows how trust allows God’s plan to unfold. Advent invites us to follow Joseph’s path — to trust God even when His ways unsettle or surpass our understanding.
- Slave, apostle, and set apart. Saint Paul describes himself as a “slave of Christ Jesus,” “called to be an apostle,” and “set apart for the gospel of God.” In these titles lies a summary of every Christian vocation. To be a slave of Christ is first to give ourselves to his service — a devotion that shapes how we live with integrity, generosity, and a commitment to what enriches life rather than diminishes it. It also means being sent: not necessarily as formal missionaries, but as everyday apostles whose choices, kindness, honesty, and justice proclaim the gospel without words. And finally, we are “set apart” in baptism for loving service — caring for relationships, tending to the vulnerable, and building up others for Christ’s sake. As the dawn of the Messiah draws near, Advent calls us to renew this threefold identity: devoted to Christ, sent to others, and set apart in love.
Sunday Readings 