Friday, MATTHEW 1:18-25

Joseph is the epitome of true faithfulness and unwavering trust in the Lord. He was extremely sensitive towards Mary, his betrothed. There is no doubt that both were excellent people, in love with each other like no other couple. However, it is plain to see that the Almighty wanted their love to go through some very demanding circumstances.
Let's take a look at his dilemma. The woman he is about to marry is found to be pregnant and he is not the father. Being a man of honor, he decides to divorce her quietly so as not to cause scandal. In order not to risk discrediting her, he would have preferred to disappear discretely and to renounce her love (something that was socially unfavorable to him). Thus, before the law of charity had been proclaimed, Saint Joseph was already practicing it: Mary (and his loving attentions with her) was his law.
The angel of the Lord, however, appears to Joseph in a dream imploring him to reconsider. The child to be born will do great things. And so, the story of Christmas is as it is supposed to be.
God, not only asks us for permission, He also wants us to take part in His plans, to make a heroic contribution. And so it was for Mary and Joseph. In fact the Christ-child needed parents. Even more so: He needed his parent's heroism, for they had to go to extremes to defend the life of the “little Redeemer”.
The Pope John Paul II has written that «Christianity is a surprise from a God who has taken sides with his creature». As a matter of fact, He has taken the initiative: To come to this world He has not waited for us to deserve it. He proposes His initiative; He does not impose it upon us: It is as though God asked us for “permission”. To Mary He proposed —never imposed anything!— the vocation of being the Mother of God: «He, who had the power to create everything from nothing, had refused to rebuild what had been desecrated if Mary had not agreed to it» (Saint Anselm). God crates and recreates now through our hands. In this role he calls us to take challenges from him. What are the challenges before me in implementing God’s plan.