***
Christmas is three days away!
I’m sure everyone’s excited.
Children, in particular, are counting their boxes beneath the Christmas tree – not only wondering what’s inside of them, but also making sure their siblings have an equal or lesser number of gifts than they do.
Trust me. I’ve been there. It’s only fair, right?
Fairness isn’t too much to ask for. It makes life neat, orderly, and balanced. I’m sure we all appreciate it, certainly when we’re the ones in need of it.
Why, then, is the Gospel today drenched in unfairness?
***
Joseph is a righteous man. He’s god-fearing; holy; an honest carpenter who’s never caused scandal in his life.
He’s the good guy, the type of person we want to root for.
But his heart has been shattered. Mary, his bride-to-be is pregnant…and the child isn’t his.
That’s more than unfair; it’s devastating.
***
Though the Gospel doesn’t describe it, we can imagine Joseph’s grief. Imagine him falling to the ground, bursting with tears.
His life is ruined. The woman he loved has betrayed him… Still, he’s unwilling to expose her to shame.
That’s a man of character.
Joseph knows the only way out is to divorce Mary, but if he does so publicly, then she’ll be shunned by society, left to beg for her daily bread.
She could even be stoned to death according to the Mosaic Law.
***
We don’t know how many days or weeks passed before the angel appears to Joseph, explaining to him what’s actually happened to Mary, that she’s conceived the Son of God by the Holy Spirit.
But that, too, is a tough pill to swallow.
God invites Joseph to love a woman whose story he doesn’t understand, to protect a baby that he didn’t father, and to accept an heir who isn’t his son.
God’s plans seem unfair, overwhelming, even scandalous.
***
But maybe there’s a message in that for us.
***
Joseph’s experience of faith reminds us of two things:
That God is constantly at work in our lives.
But often we don’t understand what he’s doing – not at first. God’s plans take time to unfold; he needs our patience and trust.
When Joseph heard Mary was pregnant, for example, he thought his life was over. But in time he learned this was simply the first step in the salvation of the world.
Thank God Joseph was patient. Thank God he trusted.
***
Like Joseph, at times our lives seem unfair.
We receive a poor diagnosis, a pink slip at work, a relationship ends, we don’t get into the high school or college of our choice.
When these things happen, it’s easy to despair.
But Joseph reminds us to never give up hope. God is always at work in our lives, often in unexpected ways.
What seems like the end is merely a bend in the road.
***
Christmas is three days away.
I’m sure many of us are wondering what’s hidden within those boxes covered in gift wrapping and bows – at least the ones with our names on them.
Regardless of what’s inside, we trust it’s something good, something given in love.
We should see our lives the same way, trusting that every moment is a gift from God, even when it doesn’t seem like it at first.
***
Saint Joseph, pray for us, that when life doesn’t make sense – when we’re at a bend in the road – we, too, may hang on, trusting the Lord is paving a way forward.