Gospel for December 18 2022 – Matthew 1:18-24
Gospel Reflections for December 18 2022
Mary is in trouble…
The Gospel indicates she is seriously close to losing her life. She knows it …and Joseph does too.
Archaeologists affirm that in the ancient world the most important thing of all was the public honor and prosperity of your family. You ensured your family would have both by passing on your family assets to your own children. However, you also had to ensure that everyone knew the origin of every child. No one wanted to pass on the family farm to someone else’s kid! That would be a fatal family dishonor.
The penalty for any woman with a child of uncertain origin could be death. That is how important this issue was. As Mary is approaching the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Mary is facing death, which would have brought everything, and your salvation, to a halt! She is in serious trouble!
The Angel Gabriel made it clear to Mary how her child would conceive, and the Angel in today’s Gospel assured Joseph that all was well, but no one in their hometown of Nazareth, or their relatives in Bethlehem had this knowledge. For all they knew, this was a child of unknown origin, the worst case for any family at that time.
This is where the character of Joseph came to the rescue. Most likely, and the Church allows this is possible, Joseph might have been married before, had fathered several children, but had become a widower. Now he is an older and much respected and honorable person in Nazareth. It was his honorable character that enabled him to hold off harm to Mary. He found the courage to do so because of the Angel’s message.
That message also reveals that both the actions of God and your own character count! The Christmas events that we too often take for granted only continued by the dual action of the Holy Spirit and the honorable actions of people like Joseph and Mary.
Christmas will happen in your life today with that same cooperation. God will do His part, and you must do yours.
Advent is a welcome gift of a thoughtful time every year to reflect on your own character and openness to the Holy Spirit acting within you. Where can you show that courage and openness to the Holy Spirit now?
Your behavior just might make a new Christmas birth of Jesus happen in your life today!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Beautiful perspective I had never thought of!
Christmas Blessings Fr Dave.
Thank you. A blessed New year for you!
Christmas is based on Christ…….not Santa Claus. Most of the world appears to have forgotten that. Let’s thank Father for the reminder!
Yes, I still like the old line …Keep Christ in Christmas!
Thanks for your beautiful Gospel Reflection;
Behavior is everything, especially “Honorable”!
God Bless and keep you and yours!
May God bless you as welll!
Much credit goes to Joseph for believing what came to him in a dream about the Child being conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary was his chosen and love of Her required the cooperation of Joseph her husband .
I never thought about that before. His understanding and love of Mary was an important ingredient and without it. The story would be very different.
Love and Respect played a big part in the success of their union.
YEs, God needed human cooperation for His salvation events to continue. Still true today!
Loved your reflection, we need to always remember to submit to Gods word. Life would be a lot more simpler….
Yes, a lot more simpler for sure!