Grumpy Advent Reflections #8

‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins’ . . . When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.
(Reading from Mass)

Two days to go!

Feeling the pressure yet?

Or are you ones of those ultra mega anally organized folk who had it all done by the end of November?

I think Joseph was one of those really organized ones too.
Especially with a wedding coming up.

Family and Friends invited? Check Synagogue booked? Check.
Met with Rabbi? Check.

Then a rocket to send him reeling out of this illusion of control.

Mary, by all accounts a godly girl, is pregnant.
Completely against the social standards of the time and, no doubt, Joseph’s wishes.

But God yet again turns human values on their head.
Joseph is instructed to act with compassion and love, not by law or worldly wisdom.

His friends probably saw him as stupid or at least misguided.
After all, how can you trust a girl “like that”?

And even then - could one bloke honestly tell another he had been visited by an Angel and expect to be taken seriously. . . ?

I think I’m liking Joseph more and more.

Wants to do the right thing AND listens to God.

Acts with loves and talks only a bit. (Maybe I’m reading into this a bit!)

Seems like the kind of Guy to make up his mind, stick to his guns, and just get on with the task at hand.

I could use a bit of that I think - Bit more stoic and less flighty.

And I could definitely talk less!

Anyway that’s it for today. Last one tomorrow.

See ya