“See, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
As we welcome the dawn of 2026, we bow before the Lord in gratitude for the year that has passed—its joys and struggles, its blessings and challenges. Every new year is a gift of grace, a renewed invitation from God to begin again with faith, hope, and love.
In today’s Gospel, we see Joseph once again listening to the voice of God in a dream: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt.” This command, urgent and unsettling, changes the course of the Holy Family’s life. They become refugees, seeking safety in a foreign land. Yet, through Joseph’s prompt obedience and Mary’s silent trust, the will of God unfolds even amid danger and uncertainty.
Once again, we stand before the manger in Bethlehem and gaze upon the mystery of God made flesh. The Gospel of Luke tells us how, in the silence of the night, heaven touched the earth. A child was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. To the eyes of the world, it was an ordinary birth, unnoticed and poor. Yet for those who believe, it is the dawn of salvation and the beginning of a new creation.
The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent centers on Joseph, the quiet and obedient man whom God chose to play a vital role in the mystery of salvation. While other Advent readings focus on Mary’s “yes” to God, today we are invited to contemplate the silent “yes” of Joseph — a “yes” that required deep faith, courage, and humility.
The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday, a day of rejoicing amid our Advent waiting. The rose candle is lit on the Advent wreath, reminding us that joy is already shining through the shadows of expectation. Yet, today’s Gospel from Matthew 11:2–11 presents us with a surprising kind of joy—one born not from comfort or success, but from faith in the midst of doubt.
SCJ Philippines Region 