One Sunday when Jesse Romero was eight, his family finished Mass and then dinner at a restaurant. As they were leaving, they saw a man attacking a woman in a car. Jesse’s father told them to go back in and call the police, but his four sons watched him run to the car—‘Dad’s gonna get in a fight!’ He opened the car door, started punching the larger man, pulled him out, and restrained him. When the police arrived, they arrested what turned out to be a serial rapist. On the way home, the children asked Dad, ‘Were you afraid?’ Because they had just come from Mass, the father said, ‘I had Jesus with me; the other guy didn’t.’ Jesse later wrote, ‘I already had a good relationship with my father, but that day, he became my hero’ (Tyler Rowley, Because of Our Fathers, 67).
We admire those who protect because we all need help, and sometimes we’re aware that we’re weak in faith, physical health, or relationships, etc. For me, this is the most intense time of the year, so I’m aware of spiritual attacks on my vulnerabilities.
The Gospel says, “When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly” (Mt 1:18-19). It would have appeared that Mary committed adultery, which was punishable by death, but St. Joseph protects her from this. Shortly after, he’ll protect her and Jesus from Herod by bringing them to Egypt for an estimated seven years. Because of this, he’s known as the guardian of the Redeemer.
Do we all understand our vocation to protect each other? There’s a wonderful book called Get Married, about the long-term sociological data on the benefits of marriage (God willing, we’ll do a homily series on this, especially for our young people). In it, there’s a story about John and Grace taking the subway in Washington, D.C. A man approached them and demanded their wallets, but John stood up, put himself between the man and Grace, stuck out his arm, and started shouting at the man, until they could step off. Grace said that was a key moment in moving towards marriage: The fact that John would “protect me was huge,” she said (Brad Wilcox, 154).
In 2015, Akash Bashir died while preventing a suicide bomber from entering a church. His last words were, ‘I will die but I will not let you go in.’ He’s now the first servant of God from Pakistan, that is, there’s an investigation if he was a saint. For three months, his mother had urged him not to go because of the danger, but he “kept insisting… that he… was ready to sacrifice his life if God gave him a chance to protect others”. And now, his brother has taken his place as a guard.
All protection ultimately comes from God. He is the perfect Father and protector. In the Gospel, an angel appears to St. Joseph in a dream and says, “She [Mary] will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (1:21). Saving from sins means protection from the greatest evil. Jesus doesn’t always protect us from every evil, like cancer or dying—just like parents shouldn’t protect their children from every hardship, otherwise they never grow. But the greatest threat is sin, and as we get ready for Christmas, we celebrate that Jesus comes to protect us from sin today.
How do we feel knowing that we’re protected by Jesus? We may suffer, but He is protecting us.
St. Matthew adds, “All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken… through the Prophet: ‘…the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us’” (1:22-23). Here’s something to know about Hebrew names. ‘God’ in Hebrew is ‘El.’ So, Michael means ‘Who is like God?’ Gabriel means ‘God is my strength.’ Raphael means ‘God heals.’ How do you say ‘Disobedient to God’? Deaconel Andrew. The name Emmanuel means ‘God is with us.’ Why is this significant? Because, in the Bible, there are two names for God: God (El) and Lord (YHWH). El is used when referring to God as infinite, beyond the universe; YHWH is used when emphasizing that God is close to us (Scott Hahn, Catholic Bible Dictionary, 323-324). So, when St. Matthew says that Jesus is Emmanuel, he’s saying that the all-powerful God beyond our universe has come close to us.
So, today, let’s ask for protection and pray for each other.
I read a beautiful story about a Russian Christian named Dmitri. During the time of the Soviet Union, he led Bible studies out of his home until he was arrested and sentenced to 17 years in prison. While there, he was tortured but never gave up his love for Jesus. However, on one occasion he almost gave in. The guards lied to him that his wife was dead and his children had been taken by the government, and they offered to release him if he would sign a document the following day. He agreed. But, “a thousand kilometers away, that night his family sensed a special burden to pray for him. They knelt in a circle and interceded passionately for his protection. Miraculously, the Lord allowed Dmitri to hear the voices of his loved ones as they prayed. He knew they were safe” (Max Lucado, Unshakeable Hope, 55-57). The next morning, the guards saw that he was renewed, his face was now calm, and he refused to sign. Eventually, he was released and was able to return to his family.
Again, let’s pray for each other today, and, if we’re feeling perhaps a bit weak, please know that someone is praying for you to Jesus, and He will protect you.