As we quickly move closer to the day of Christ’s birth, the gospel of Matthew brings us gently back to the attitude which makes grace possible. Overarching Mary and Joseph’s reception of the news that ultimately made Christ’s coming unto them possible is a gentle attitude of docility to God’s word and a fearlessness in allowing it to change their lives, even when they did not know what the future might look like. In St. Joseph’s dream, the angel message of “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” was immediately answered by Joseph’s action: “when Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife”.
Reflecting on St. Joseph in relation to my own life, I’m confronted with the dual reality of challenge and comfort that comes from saying yes to the will of God. On the one hand, receiving knowledge of God’s will invokes fear. Even just to quiet one’s own will, busyness, and distractions that give a more shallow gratification so that we are actually in a position to be able to hear and respond to God’s will takes a great amount of courage and intentionality. God understands this interior struggle in being open to him, and just as through his angel he told Joseph to not be afraid, so he is waiting to calm us as well when we turn to him with sincere love and willingness to let ourselves go.
As the Christmas story which we are looking towards can remind us, a death-to-self similar to the Blessed Virgin’s and St. Joseph’s is rewarded with the grace of being filled with God’s infinite love. Every Christian life must have this death at its center, just as every Christian will arrive at a greater life in Christ which can be accomplished by his will triumphing in our lives. Through him, all the every-day challenges and anxieties in our lives can be transformed into life-giving gifts which can bring us ever closer to unity with the will of God.
As we move towards Christmas, may we pray for the grace to quiet ourselves so that we are open to receiving the blessings of peace, joy, and love which find their fulfillment in Christ our Lord.
Marc Berube – St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta.