From the Gospel according to Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Trust.
The Lord prepares our hearts in surprising ways, and without us realizing. He gives us unsuspected capacities to love and to give ourselves in difficulty. We have the example in Saint Joseph: it must not have been easy for him, yet what a great and self-giving heart he had out of love for the Virgin he renounced everything and trusted the message of the angel, setting aside his own judgment and giving his yes to God. I like to imagine Saint Joseph’s day-to-day life in the Holy Family, how attentive he must have been at every moment so that everything would always be what was best for the Virgin and the Child, without taking his own criteria into account and giving himself completely to his family. What a great teacher Saint Joseph is for married couples, with the certainty that by following his example of trust and self-giving, any situation always has some meaning in God’s plan, even if it is a mystery to us.
Applied to married life:
Becky: Hi Henry, we have to decide how we’re going to organize ourselves this Christmas and see which family we’ll be with on each date.
Henry: Ugh! Honestly, I don’t really feel like it. Lately we’ve had a lot of differences with everyone, especially with your family.
Becky: You’re right, they’ve been very pushy with us, and with the change we’ve made in our lives since discovering what we have. But where better to give of ourselves than within the family and show them how much we’ve learned?
Henry: That’s true, but it’s very tiring to endure one attack after another like a battle. It’s hard for me, and I don’t know if it’s worth it.
Becky: You have to trust in what we’ve received, and we have to try to give it just as others gave it to us. It wasn’t that long ago that we were just like them, and we didn’t accept anything outside our own criteria.
Henry: Honestly, it’s very hard for me, and without wanting to compare, the same thing happens with my family but they don’t mind, and with more or less indifference they’ve accepted our change.
Becky: I know. You’ve always gotten along very well with my family, and since our conversion they’ve sidelined you. But you know that if we stop going to see them, it’s very hard for anyone to show them the reality they’re living in, and we can’t remain indifferent.
Henry: That’s true. We have to show them that it doesn’t matter to us what they think of us and that nothing will change no matter how much they attack us. Surely one day they’ll appreciate it, even though now it seems like it’s useless.
Becky: I love seeing you so firm. Your renunciation and trust strengthen our marriage more and more every day.
Henry: Ugh! Honestly, I don’t really feel like it. Lately we’ve had a lot of differences with everyone, especially with your family.
Becky: You’re right, they’ve been very pushy with us, and with the change we’ve made in our lives since discovering what we have. But where better to give of ourselves than within the family and show them how much we’ve learned?
Henry: That’s true, but it’s very tiring to endure one attack after another like a battle. It’s hard for me, and I don’t know if it’s worth it.
Becky: You have to trust in what we’ve received, and we have to try to give it just as others gave it to us. It wasn’t that long ago that we were just like them, and we didn’t accept anything outside our own criteria.
Henry: Honestly, it’s very hard for me, and without wanting to compare, the same thing happens with my family but they don’t mind, and with more or less indifference they’ve accepted our change.
Becky: I know. You’ve always gotten along very well with my family, and since our conversion they’ve sidelined you. But you know that if we stop going to see them, it’s very hard for anyone to show them the reality they’re living in, and we can’t remain indifferent.
Henry: That’s true. We have to show them that it doesn’t matter to us what they think of us and that nothing will change no matter how much they attack us. Surely one day they’ll appreciate it, even though now it seems like it’s useless.
Becky: I love seeing you so firm. Your renunciation and trust strengthen our marriage more and more every day.
Mother,
May we have Your marriage with Saint Joseph as our model, and may it strengthen our communion each day. Blessed be God.