Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid
God's action is mysterious. First of all, it cannot be predicted. He usually appears unexpectedly, surprisingly, and moreover - from the point of view of ordinary human thinking - in a seemingly impossible way. In addition, God demands that we trust his word. At the same time, first we have to believe that it is he who is working, and secondly, that his action will bring a blessing. This was the situation for Mary at the Annunciation and Saint Joseph in a similar situation.
Today's Gospel scene, referring to the most important intervention of God in the human world, which was the Incarnation of the Son. It took place not in a special setting, in the highest circles of power, but in the lives of ordinary people - Mary and Joseph. They were already engaged, actually after the first stage of their wedding, and then Mary became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Usually for a man who knew that a conceived child was not his, it was the most obvious evidence of betrayal. For Saint Joseph it was undoubtedly a dilemma because he knew Mary and something like that could not fit in his head. Mary herself did not say anything, did not explain. She remained silent. Humanly thinking, Joseph tried to solve the problem in such a way as not to endanger Mary. At this point, it is necessary to realize that the social situation in Israel is different from that of today. Back then, marriage was a family affair, not limited to two directly concerned persons: a man and a woman. Joseph did not want to expose her to defamation, he intended to go away secretly
(cf. Mt 1:19). We can see what threatened Mary in John chapter 8 when an adulteress was brought to Jesus to be stoned to death.
In response to this concern, Joseph received an angel's announcement, whom he trusted. Like Mary before, he had to trust in a promise and accept what seemed improbable as truth. Only on the basis of such entrustment could God gradually reveal the depth of his mysterious plan of salvation.
However, trust on the part of man is the key to knowing God's actions. This truth is very eloquently showed to as the encounter with the Risen One. He did not appear to anyone who did not believe in him. Even some of his disciples, “when they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted” (cf. Mt 28:17). On our part, entrustment is opening the door to meet God who comes. Already the sage of the Old Testament wrote clearly: “Because he is found by those who do not test him and manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.’ (cf. Wisdom 1:2)
Only through faith can one enter into the mystery of God. By trusting, we let ourselves be drawn into its logic revealing the principles of real life. Sometimes we run away from such entrustment, because when we entrust ourselves, we have to adopt the same logic of our lives. It is often better to hide behind doubts because they distance us from such an obligation. For this reason, faith is difficult.
Joseph trusted God and did as the Angel of the Lord instructed him: he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. (Mt 1:24). He took responsibility for the Woman and the Child. And this gesture of his led him to the very depths of God's mystery. The name Jesus (Yeshua - Yahweh is salvation) carries the mystery of reconciliation with God.
Paradoxically, Saint Joseph, who was not a natural father, became a model of human fatherhood. In Him, God showed what earthly fatherhood should be. The Lord Jesus at one point told us: Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. (cf. Mt 23:9)
It is no coincidence that we are told to pray "Our Father ...". Indeed, the person of the father is extremely important in human life. Today, unfortunately, we are dealing with a great paternity crisis. It is said sometimes, we live in a world without a father. In such a situation, the person of Saint Joseph is extremely important, because in him fatherhood reveals its true spiritual dimension, which we need to rediscover today.
Perhaps we are not aware of the enormous influence that the father has on shaping the child's relationship to God. Perhaps at this point it is most apparent how far man is involved in the work of salvation. It can be creative, and it can be destructive. Human responsibility is huge.
In the fourth commandment to honor our father and our mother the word "honor" appears. It is clearly religious and always refers to God. Parents, whether they like it or not, are intermediaries for their children in the experience of God.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george