Crisis of Love
Only Matthew and Luke tell us about the birth of Jesus. Matthew speaks of the birth of Jesus from the point of view of Joseph, while Luke does it from the point of view of Mary. For Matthew, it is important to show that Jesus really is descended from David and that he fulfills the Lord’s promises.
It was yesterday that we read about the genealogy of Jesus, which Matthew traced to David and eventually to Abraham. And Matthew’s story in today’s Gospel fills us with amazement and joy: Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, is in crisis because of his love for Mary. He is the only one who knows that that son in Mary’s womb (even before their living together) is not his.
To follow the Law of the Lord, he would have had to denounce the fact and shamefully drive Mary out (and in those days they would have stoned her). He spends some sleepless nights thinking how best to handle the situation. I can imagine Joseph spending more hours in prayer and meditation, asking for divine grace and the illumination of the Holy Spirit in order not to make a grave mistake in his decision.
Sometimes, we too can find ourselves in a dilemma like Joseph’s – when life presents us with some hard and difficult options from which to choose one. How do we handle it? Relying only on our human wisdom in such situations might not always guarantee the best result. We can only get deeper in prayer in order to gain more insights, just as Joseph did. Consequently, he finally finds a solution that will save his beloved’s honor: he will simply say that he is tired of her and quietly send her back home. Beautiful story!
Love Above the Norm
To be “just,” as Matthew defines him, Joseph does not observe the Law only literally. He is the just one par excellence. It is not an ethical characteristic but indicates one who lives by observing the prescriptions of the Law. He is to denounce Mary but also wants to save her at all costs. He doesn’t put his wounded male pride at the center, but his love for his bride. Despite what he considers a grave mistake on the side of Mary, he still does not forget his initial love for this lady. How painful it can be today seeing couples fall apart at the slightest mistake of the other. How quickly love “vanishes” these days among couples, friends, family members, is something that should worry every good Christian.
Does true love really end so fast? Joseph says no. He loves Mary and, therefore, seeks every possible way to protect her, even in his visible crisis. By putting love and righteousness above the norm, Joseph saves Mary … and himself. Mary will then give birth to the Savior of the world.
Fruit of Prayerful Meditation
Joseph’s long night of prayer and contemplation suddenly ends with a dream and an angel reassures him. And what does Joseph do? He wakes up and does as the angel told him! He heaves a sigh of relief that he did not make a costly mistake in his crisis moment. I can imagine the brightness in his face as he wakes from sleep, and the love with which he would greet his bride that morning. Joseph is considered a just man because he does not harshly judge according to appearances and is a great dreamer (often, in biblical stories about him, his dreams play a decisive role).
Let us ask him, a few days before Christmas, to still have the courage to dream, to dare, and not to allow ourselves to be crushed by rampant pessimism, hasty judgments, and the tendency of “celebrating” the mistakes of others.
And I use this occasion to heartily wish you a happy Christmas of love and serenity.
What a beautiful reflection! Thank you Father.