Dear friends in Christ, today we are going to reflect on the life of a pious man. A man who listened to God and allowed God’s communicative word to overshadow the rules of the law. We will reflect on the simple man by name Joseph.
One can imagine the kind of happiness Joseph must have been experiencing since Mary was bethrothed to him. The joy to begin a life, a family with the one whom he loved. The joy to settle down and have a family he can call his own, only for Mary to be found with Child, not just Child but the Child of the Holy Spirit.The future happiness of this young man is suddenly clouded by an event of which he can make little sense, Mary’s pregnancy. I can imagine what we would have done if we were in the shoes of Joseph. Maybe, we would be the noise making type who would keep questioning what sort of Holy Spirit will choose my wife of every other women out there.
When Joseph found out that Mary was with child, he knew the consequence of such without marriage. So, to protect Mary of such embarrassment he planned to unofficially and quietly let her go. But God’s ways are not our ways.
Joseph in the dream did not see God’s message to him as unreasonable like some of us would think. We would want to rationalize everything. Joseph accepted the message of God to keep Mary. He was patient. He was docile. Joseph, in that moment of his personal crisis, according to the gospel reading, experienced God as Emmanuel, God with him. God communicated with Joseph at this difficult time in his life and Joseph was open to hearing God’s word to him, a word that directed him beyond what the Law required.
Brethren, the story of Joseph reminds us that God continues to communicate with us in the challenging situations of our own lives, including crises of intimacy. There is no personal dilemma that need cut us off from God. God speaks a word of love and wisdom to us even in the most unpromising moments of our life’s journey. The question is do we hear Him when he speaks?
Let us pray for all Fathers all over the world that they may be filled with the virtues of Joseph to be sensitive spiritually to hear God’s will for their families.
May God continue to be with us, guide us and support us, especially in our own difficult family experiences. Amen.
St Joseph, Pray for us!
