The Gospel according to Matthew (1:18-25)
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
Reflection: This reminds me of a verse in Jeremiah (1:5), “the Word of the Lord came to me: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I dedicated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations”. This verse confirms that long before we were born, we are called by God to know, love, and serve him. We have no idea how we are going to serve Him until we look back one day and realize that “This is it”!
Mary was a young girl from the small Village of Nazareth. To her knowledge, she and her family were typical people that worked and had faith in their God. This story is where the Faith of Mary became reality and truly believed. Her response moves from one of fear to total trust in God’s mysterious designs. Imagine the doubt that entered her mind, then the fear, and not to mention all the questions that came to mind. There is one thing for sure, Mary did recognize the messenger as an Angel from God and, in deep faith and trust, accepted what she was being asked to do by responding “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Mary’s pregnancy was truly mysterious. In fact, it was so enigmatic that even Joseph initially couldn’t accept what was going on nor believe it. It’s amazing to reflect the fact that one of the greatest events to ever take place in human history happened under a cloud of apparent scandal and confusion. Imagine what our world today would do under these circumstances.
Think about it, Mary becomes pregnant, and Joseph is betrothed to her. But Joseph knew he wasn’t the father, so he decided not to shame Mary. So, an angel came to Joseph in a dream and when he woke, he took Mary into his house. They gave birth to a child and named him Emmanuel which means “God is with us”. SCANDALOUS! Instead of praising and accepting this grace and the great blessing, the world would be judging, scrutinizing, and over-analyzing.
The primary meaning of each day of our lives is to respond the same way as Mary and Joseph, “Here I am Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” The story of the birth of Jesus seems to be a very tangible and outward sign of God’s genuine intention to show us how much God loves us.
The Christmas season is holy because of God’s intention, through the conception of Jesus, to show God’s love and a desire for a personal relationship. This is love and holy all by itself, and it seems to tell us something about God and the desire God has to be close to each of us. In the same way, the outcomes of our actions, although important, should not overshadow the love we offer to others with our initial intentions. Maybe this is why the Christmas season is filled with such joy and excitement – it is a demonstration of love intentionality par excellence!
Action of the Day: In preparation of Jesus and the new liturgical Year and the New calendar year? What’s it that we must prepare for? What was it that we chose to do in the past year but didn’t quite accomplish it?
Audio Reflection:
