Make me like Joseph

This morning I spent time with the "Meditative Video" for the second week of Advent.  And, as always, these ancient stories touch my spirit.

Today we read the birth narrative, such as it is, in Matthew 1: 17-25

 

 We read through three times.  In the first reading, I found myself drawn to the "angel appeared."

I found myself pondering the question of how it is that people change their minds and change their plans.  In the beginning of the text, Joseph had an appropriate and kind plan to divorce his pregnant Mary quietly.  It was lawful and compassionate.

Through the appearance of the angel - he changed everything.  How does that happen ?  My experience is that people DO change their minds and their plans.  Is part of it - "an angel appeared"  - maybe not in a dream but in real life.  An angel is a messenger of God - is it possible that sometimes these life changes happen because of a word from someone who - often unbeknownst   to them - is speaking God's invitation.  I wonder.  I wonder

I heard the text a second time and then read it aloud a third.  And in those readings I was drawn to the humility of Joseph.  He changed his plans, he gave up sexual relations with Mary until the baby was born and he allowed the baby to be named Jesus.  That is no small thing as children were named by fathers traditionally.

And I pondered Joseph as the one whose story is in the shadows as Mary was for all eternity in the spotlight.  It is a picture of  a  surrendering of self.

This week in Advent we light the candle of peace.  I wonder if we all were like Joseph - willing to change, willing to humble ourselves, willing to support others - would this world be in as much conflict as it is?  I wonder.

Here is my prayer for today

Lord help me to be attentive to the angels who speak your words of guidance and love

May I be open to change, to have the humility to let go of ego,  to support others in their calling.

May the little that I do today work towards peace on earth.

Amen

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about^[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet^[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[g] (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.