Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Intention: That we all might rediscover the joy of simplicity in living and make of this Advent a season of hospitality and generosity to those in need.
Today’s Gospel | 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 for the Third Friday of Advent
There is a saying that, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. In other words, at some point in life all of us have to come to terms with just how seriously we should take ourselves. Aside from admitting to the inherent comical quality of our attempts at mastering reality, there also is the matter of accepting that it is not really ours to control in the first place. So, what does this say about humanity’s role and responsibility in creation? What is it that we can do and should do? How do we know? In the story of Mary and Joseph, we see what happens when two ordinary young people are confronted with this dilemma, and the lesson we can learn from what they chose to do.
It is not unusual to have to “shift gears” in life. All of us have experienced the disruption of our carefully laid plans or meticulously ordered world view. Some disruptions are easier to deal with than others, but what they all have in common is that they can be revealing of our disposition toward loss of control. For some, this loss is an unsettling and even threatening intrusion. For others, it is a familiar and accepted part of the landscape. The difference here may be a matter of what a person believes they are entitled to expect from life, where their control starts and ends and who makes that call. In many ways, this is a turning point in spiritual growth. Faith can be just another act of seizing imagined control, or it can be an act of surrendering the illusion.
The story of Mary and Joseph is very much a story about control and letting go. Both of them, even though young, were well into the living of their own lives. Surely they both had made plans and had ideas about their futures. Their trembling acceptance of a sudden and incomprehensible possibility was a heroic act of humility and trust. Imagine what might have happened – or not happened – if clinging to their decisions had mattered more to them than welcoming God’s. Mary’s and Joseph’s faith enabled the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary. We can only guess at how many other such chances humanity has squandered over time.
Advent is a season for us to reflect on the many lessons of the Nativity. From the lives of Mary and Joseph, we learn that only by abandoning ourselves to God’s providence are we able to connect ourselves to those things that truly matter and will truly make a difference in our world. In the words of Thomas Merton, “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”
Prayer
Eternal Father, you came to us in the ordinariness of simple and humble lives. As Mary and Joseph lived each of their days together, they brought the world closer and closer to its salvation. Grant us the faith and perseverance to live the same way, trusting that in doing your will we are helping step by step to build your Kingdom. Fill us with your spirit and open us to your ways, so that we might always walk in faith, humility, and compassion. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.