3rd Week of Advent
Joseph . . . did as the angel of the Lord had commanded. (Matthew 1:24)
It’s worth considering that Joseph could have said no to being Mary’s husband. What would have happened then? He wouldn’t have had the privilege of raising Jesus and seeing him grow up. He wouldn’t have been around to support Mary and to receive her support and love. Once he realized who Mary was carrying, he might have spent a lifetime regretting his decision.
But because Joseph obeyed God, he is forever a part of salvation history. For someone who never says a word in Scripture, his yes was rather important. It made the Holy Family complete, and it gave us a moving portrait of what trust, surrender, and faith really look like.
It’s doubtful that any of our decisions will be as consequential as Joseph’s was. But they still involve saying yes or no. They still involve embracing one possible future and closing the door to a host of other possibilities. That’s the beauty of our free will: every time we say yes to God, even in the smallest things, we take one more step along the path that he has laid out for us—a path that leads us to heaven. Not only that, but every time we say yes to God, he says yes right back to us. He fills us with his grace. He reassures us of his presence. And he makes us a little bit more like his Son, Jesus.
God is always calling us to something. Usually, the calling includes small, everyday decisions. But saying yes to each of these small decisions can help prepare us for those bigger, more consequential decisions God asks of us.
This is similar to what happened with Joseph. A “righteous man,” he tried to say yes to the Lord in all aspects of his life: in his carpentry business, at home with his family, in the town square, and in the secret of his own heart (Matthew 1:19). Each of these “little” decisions strengthened him and made it possible for him to say yes to God when he was faced with the biggest decision of his life.
Never forget: every yes to God is filled with power and grace.
“Lord, help me to stay faithful in the small things so that I can follow you wherever you lead me.”
Jeremiah 23:5-8
Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
Daily Marriage Tip for December 18, 2017:
The “O Antiphons” began yesterday, best known from the hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Today’s is “O Leader of the House of Israel.” Find them all on the USCCB website (search “Advent”) and pray them as a family this week to prepare for Christ’s birth.