~~~SisterSea~~~

 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2020 The birth of the Christ is God's love made manifest with the birth of the universe.   Today's first reading and Gospel emphasize the theme of God's Presence throughout the holy disturbances God places in people's lives as well as how God is present in the new universe story.      First let's look at God's holy disturbances.   The first reading refers to how God transformed David from a simple shepherd boy into a King of Israel.   God is there for David throughout each stage of this sometimes-painful transformation.   God doesn't even abandon David when he repeatedly transgresses but sends his prophet to nudge David to return to the right path.   Like us, David is not always open to what God or his prophets have to say.   Even when we ignore what God is trying to tell us, God's is present.   But because we are closed we may not understand God's promises to us, which are always kept but not always in the way that Dav