Gospel MT 1:18-23
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.”
Reflection:
“….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.”
Interestingly, God did not “tell” Joseph what to do.
God seldom gives us a detailed, personal roadmap of what we should do in a difficult situation. But, God has given us a conscience, which has been referred to as “the voice of God,” that tells us the difference between right and wrong.
What is important is that Joseph acted on his faith knowing God would be with him if he did what he knew to be right in his heart.
Doing the right thing often calls us to overcome our hurt, anger, spitefulness, and our need for justice rather than mercy.
Like Joseph, when confronted with a difficult life situation, we too are called to look into our heart to find what is merciful, and then to “do the right thing.”
Many years later, Jesus went about his life extending mercy to all he met, even praying for those who nailed him on a cross. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Yes, Jesus was the son of God, but he was also the son of Joseph, the carpenter.
I wondered if those who knew the boy Jesus often said, “He’s a good kid like his father, Joseph. He’s a chip off the old block.”

“Conscience is the light by which we interpret the will of God in our own lives”
― Thomas Merton