Gospel: Matthew 1: 18-24
What does this story of Joseph have to do with our everyday lives? Joseph was a just man; even his decision on how to handle the pregnancy of Mary was not an unjust one. It was designed to protect Mary from the harshness of the law while saving face. But here God calls Joseph to take an active part in this drama; it is here and in this way that Joseph will encounter Jesus in his life - certainly not the way neither he nor anyone else might expect.
It is in the posture of Joseph where we can learn the most for our everyday lives. Joseph has a plan of his own, but he remains open to other possibilities. In silence he comes to hear the voice of God direct him to a new path, a process Joseph will follow throughout his brief scenes in the Gospel. Joseph remains silent, comes to recognize God's voice and presence, and then he acts decisively.
In these remaining days of Advent we are invited to cultivate this silence of Joseph, a silence that is not occupied with daydreaming or our frivolous fantasies, but rather a silence of openness and awareness to God's voice and presence directing us in the world. This voice will direct us to see God among us in the person who needs us in the moment - the sick friend, the frightened refugee, the lonely elderly person, the hungry and thirsty person at the soup kitchen. In them we find God come among us, there we find the kingdom of God.
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