This essay first appeared in our weekly Scripture reflection newsletter on December 20, 2025.
Isa 7:10-14, Rom 1:1-7, Mt 1:18-24
You can find the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent here.
In the readings today, we repeatedly hear the theme of invitation and trust in the face of uncertainty. Two characters respond to God without a full explanation of what is being asked, or the reassurance that their answers and way of life will make sense to others. Paul—once a feared persecutor of Christians—has experienced a dramatic conversion that now calls him to proclaim the Gospel. Joseph—a humble carpenter—is told that Mary, whom he is not yet married to, is pregnant and carries the Son of God, a situation that is sure to cause confusion and scandal. Neither Paul or Joseph receive clarity in advance, yet both choose to say yes to the call given to them.
Following Christ is challenging. For LGBTQ Catholics, it can be even more complex in the face of rejection and hurt. God’s call can feel clear internally, yet complicated externally. To live as both LGBTQ and Catholic, or as an ally, often places us in a space that others see as incompatible—whether within the church or the queer community. The questions and criticism never feel far away. Many simply do not understand how these identities can coexist.
God’s call can feel clear internally, yet complicated externally.
This is not so different from what our Biblical characters encounter. Joseph knew the social risks he faced by taking Mary into his home. What would his neighbors say? How would he explain his wife’s out-of-wedlock (though betrothed) pregnancy to others? Similarly, Paul was aware of the incongruity of his radical conversion. Was not this the same man who had persecuted Christians? How could his conversion be genuine? They both knew they were likely to be met with confusion, suspicion and judgment. Their ‘yes’ did not erase the social tensions or questions, but it was evidence that God was at work in and through their lives.
LGBTQ Catholics often mirror this faithful courage. The road for us is far from clearly laid out. Like Joseph and Paul, we often stand at the crossroads of where God’s invitation meets our uncertainty. We don’t get the full plan. We don’t get the reassurance that others will understand. We fear criticism and the pain of rejection. Yet the season of Advent focuses on waiting and trusting before clarity arrives, and that is exactly what these characters exemplify. They remind us that God is at work even when we cannot yet see it, and that faith’s first step is saying “yes” to an invitation.
Through our “yes,” God’s perfect love—which heals all wounds and redeems all brokenness—continues to unfold.
Joseph’s “yes” (and of course Mary’s) becomes the doorway through which Jesus enters the world. Paul’s “yes” becomes the foundation for the Gospel spreading to the ends of the earth. Our yes—offered from the fullness of who we are, with our complexities and even shortcomings—becomes the space where God continues to work as we encounter others so that all people might come to know Him. Loving those who may not always love us back, serving our brothers and sisters—especially the most marginalized—and continuing to show up in the life of the Church, all reveal a Christlike generosity that softens hearts and builds bridges. God has entrusted you and me with “the grace of apostleship” so that our “yes” becomes a way that enables others to encounter God’s tenderness, mercy and justice. Joseph and Paul’s courage made room for Christ to enter the world. Your courage makes room for Christ to be seen, felt and encountered in the Church today.
During these last days of Advent, the world awaits in quiet expectation. The plan of salvation, announced by the prophets, has yet to fully unfold. But waiting and hoping are not passive states. Instead, let us take a moment to ask ourselves: How am I preparing to say “yes” to Jesus when He comes? What are the spaces God is calling me into so that my presence and faith as an LGBTQ Catholic or ally may help others heal, hear, and accept God’s invitation?
Let us prepare our hearts and lives to welcome the Christ child. For unto us a Savior is born, and through our “yes,” God’s perfect love—which heals all wounds and redeems all brokenness—continues to unfold.
St. Joseph and St. Paul, pray for us!
