Back in November, Brenda and I got to see our daughter Teresa perform in Gonzaga Prep’s production of The Sound of Music. I know some of you here are theater moms or dads, and your kids have been in shows too, shows like Ferris’ The Addams Family, Fiddler on the Roof, or Shrek. Or maybe some of you are theater kids and have seen your parents perform in Ham on Regal. So you know how it is that you end up seeing the same show multiple times. You end up noticing things that you didn’t see the first two or three or four times. Well I don’t remember if it was the third or fourth time I saw The Sound of Music, but at one point I remember paying particular attention to the overture that played at the beginning. And I remember thinking how important the overture is to the whole show. An overture sets the tone and gives you a hint of what you’re going to be hearing later on. So for instance, in the overture to The Sound of Music you hear bits of “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and of course, “The Sound of Music.” The overture ties the entire show together and prepares the audience for what’s about to happen. Today’s gospel is like an overture. and if we pay particular attention to it, then we can hear several themes that Matthew is going to come back to time and again. Recognizing those themes will not only help us to prepare for entering more deeply into the mystery of Christmas, but it will also help us prepare for the coming year, since we’ll be reading almost exclusively from the gospel of Matthew. The first theme in this overture from Matthew hits us immediately: “When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ life begins in what seems to be a scandal. Mary was betrothed to Joseph— solemnly promised to him in a contract that was just as binding as marriage; they’re not yet living together as man and wife, but Mary becomes pregnant. But what appears to be a scandal is revealed by the angel to be the work of the Holy Spirit. This is a theme that is repeated throughout the gospel of Matthew, that what at first glance seems to be a scandal is really the work of God. The word scandal comes from the Greek word “skandalon,” which means “stumbling block.” Throughout Jesus’ ministry he will be a stumbling block to those who meet him. He will eat with tax collectors and sinners. He will challenge the way Pharisees understand the law. And finally there will be the great scandal of the cross: The Messiah will be handed over to the Roman authorities and be crucified. These are all scandals, stumbling blocks. But in every case, what seems to be a scandal is revealed as the work of God. We have no need to fear stumbling blocks when it comes to following Jesus. This is what the angel tells Joseph: “Do not be afraid.” The second theme we hear in Matthew’s opening overture is a melody that we will hear over and over again as we read through his gospel in the coming year. Where the first theme is full of tension and conflict, the second theme is steady and comforting, the kind you can hum along with: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.”