"O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed
yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law
on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand
to set us free"
Matthew 1: 18 - 25
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121820.cfm
---------------------------------
Did you ever wonder how Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant before their formal marriage was completed? Obviously as a couple betrothed, according to Jewish tradition, they were for all practical purposes already considered husband and wife with the final ceremony to be completed. Here they had made plans for that ceremony, the parents of each would have discussed with Joseph's family financial arrangements for their daughter and that joyful moment when Joseph would have gone to Mary's home and escorted her into his. And, the festivities would have continued with food and feasting while the whole village would have joined in as well. Remember at this time, Nazareth was nothing more than a tiny hamlet, hidden in the north of Israel.
Well, here we discover that God had other plans for them and Joseph's reaction to finding Mary already with child is understandable. Who has Mary been with? Was she unfaithful to Joseph? Yet, how or when did he discover this?
We will never know but my suspicion is that Mary herself told him. When? Was it before she went to visit her older cousin Elizabeth to share her joy on the coming birth of her son, John (the Baptist) or was it after that visit? If before it seems strange that Mary then sort of slipped away from Joseph for her several days journey south from Nazareth where she stayed with Elizabeth for three months as the Gospel tells us, thereby leaving Joseph alone to contemplate the visit of the angel in his dream and deal with any further fall out from Mary's news on his own. She drops this bombshell on Joseph, then races out of town?
St. Luke in his well known telling of these events simply states after the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her of Elizabeth, (Lk 1: 39) when "In those days . . ." Mary set out "in haste" to see her cousin. So, could it be that instead she posed this question to Elizabeth at some point during her visit: "How can I tell Joseph about this?"
Whatever advice Elizabeth would have given Mary, if that was the case, most likely would have been based in faith. Here we have both women, uniquely touched by God, who have come to see that in some mysterious way they have been included in this divine yet to be unfolded plan. So, why not Joseph as well. I wonder if Elizabeth might have said to her younger cousin: "Mary, do not be afraid. God will guide you in this. You must tell Joseph the truth and trust that God will do the rest."
And so, on returning to Nazareth, at a point when Mary was showing her pregnancy and could not hide it, she spoke to Joseph. The Gospels are less concerned about specific time lines than they are focused on faith and the person of Jesus the Christ. But filling in the human dimensions may help to remind us that God works through his creation to bring about a good, not to diminish the role of occasional angelic intervention!
Isn't that a moment for us to believe the same as we approach Christmas and this new year? It seems to me that God is watching us in some way as he did Joseph. He knew of Joseph's understandable confusion and fear at what Mary was about to reveal to him when God stepped in by sending the angel who assured Joseph to take Mary without fear.
I'm not sure Angels will come to us in such a dramatic way but God does know of our lives. Can we trust that he will care for us if we surrender to his love as Mary and Joseph did? You may never know that these messengers of God were involved in your life as well - or indeed you might!
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who are weighed down from of old
by slavery beneath the yoke of sin,
may be set free by the newness
of the long-awaited Nativity
of your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(Collect of Mass)
No comments:
Post a Comment