Loving, responsive obedience to God

The obedience of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary, is the central theme of today’s readings, with special emphasis on the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Saint Joseph’s loving and responsive obedience to God is modeled for us in Matthew’s Gospel today.

Matthew considers what the prophet Isaiah said in giving a sign from God to King Ahaz of Judah: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (Is 7:14), as one of the most descriptive and definite prophecies foretelling the future Messianic King, the Christ, who will be born as a descendant of David.

This reminds us that we must choose to allow Christ to enter into our hearts with His love and grace so that our lives can be shaped in His Image and Likeness again. We must also choose to surrender our entire being to Him so that He may rule over our lives and we may become saints. For God never forces anyone to receive His gifts.

Today’s Gospel, from Matthew, focuses on the person and role of Joseph. For Jesus to fulfill the Messianic prophecy given by Isaiah, Joseph had to, and freely did, accept Jesus as his son.

This formal acceptance made Jesus a legal descendant of David because Joseph was a descendant of David. Hence, Matthew makes it clear that Jesus was not the biological child of Joseph. But because Joseph was the husband of Mary at the time Jesus was born, Jesus was legally the son of Joseph and thus a descendant of David.

Like Joseph, we need to trust God, listen to Him, and be faithful. Although we may face financial problems, job insecurity, tensions in the family, and health concerns, let us try to be like St. Joseph, trusting and faithful. Instead of relying on our own schemes to get us through life, let us trust in God and be strengthened by talking to Him in fervent prayer and by listening to Him speaking through the Bible.

We need to experience Emmanuel in our lives — and so change the world: The Good News and consoling message of Christmas is that the Child Jesus still waits today to step into our hearts — your heart and mine — to change us and the world around us by the beauty of God’s love, kindness, mercy and compassion.

Let us take some time to welcome the Christ Child into our hearts and lives this week, so that God may change our world of miseries with the beauty of that love.

A heart filled with love for God and our fellow human beings is the birthday gift which Jesus really wants from us. Hence, let us prepare our heart for Jesus, filling it with love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness on this Christmas and every day of our lives.

Let us be a Christmas gift to others: The greatest gift we can give to those we love is to have faith in them, believe in their good dreams, and try to help them bring them to reality.