Today’s first reading from Isaiah reminds us that we are in the time of final preparation for Christmas. This passage is offered to highlight that it was not just the coming of a Messiah foretold in the Old Testament but even some of the circumstances of his birth, especially the fact that he was to be born of a virgin mother. The Gospel then provides us with the account of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus and explicitly quotes the prophecy which we already heard in the first reading. The key character in the gospel is Joseph who is filled in on the Divine Plan through a dream. Matthew's Gospel contains more about St Joseph than any of the other Gospel writers. St Luke mentions him seven times but none of these tell us very much about Joseph himself. He only gets one brief mention in the Gospel of Mark and two passing references in the Gospel of John.
Matthew is much more detailed and we are told about four dreams of Joseph, the first of which is presented to us in today's reading. In a further dream, he is instructed to take his family into Egypt to escape King Herod's wrath and then once the danger is over another dream informs him that it is now safe to return home to Israel. The final dream warns him to go to Galilee instead of Judea. About the only actual description of Joseph in the Bible is also given by Matthew in today's reading where it simply states that he was a righteous man. This says a very great deal about Joseph and anyone would be quite proud to have those words said about them at their funeral.
Joseph had his life mapped out when God threw a curve ball. Mary, his betrothed, "was found with child." St. Matthew gives only a few details but we can imagine the anguish and turmoil. The true paternity of Mary's child is revealed to him in the dream and he does what he is asked by the Angel and marries Mary and protects her and the child Jesus, returning only to his own village once things were safe for them. These are indeed righteous actions for which he deserves to be praised. We admire Joseph because he does not question the Angel; he simply does what he is asked to do recognizing that these instructions come ultimately from God.
We would do well to imitate Joseph in our own lives especially when we are faced with circumstances which are far from ideal. We should take him for our model and try to do the right things at the correct times. It would have been very easy for Joseph to feel sorry for himself and be upset at all the surprises God allowed him to experience.
We can learn a lot from the quiet steady way Joseph dealt with this crisis. What matters most is his openness to God's voice and God's will. The crisis makes him realize he belongs to something much bigger than himself. We'll see more next weekend when we celebrate Christ's birth. For sure, life can be messy but that does not mean God cannot be found right in the middle of the mess.
Perhaps St. Joseph teaches us not to run from life's messiness but rather to accept whatever people and circumstances God sends into our life. In doing so we want to follow St. Joseph's example of righteousness. As Matthew Kelly writes, "Be gentle with people who cross your path. If someone is grumpy or rude, if someone makes a mistake or does something wrong, give her the benefit of the doubt. You never know what she is carrying around inside." "Life is messy, but nobody can take your hope from you. The point is not to get hung up on our weaknesses, but to recognize God uses trials to reach people. So look for the mess in your own life - and help others in their struggles - that's where God works most intensely to overcome our resistance to him.
May these final days of Advent become opportunities to trust more fully in God’s plan and love for us, no matter how crazy or messy life gets. Let us ask St. Joseph to help us grow in righteousness as we await the birth of the Savior. Then we, like him, can be protectors of others and help God’s will to be done on earth.
