Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today's Mass Readings

As we try to improve by aligning ourselves with God’s plan, we are drawn to Mary and Joseph as ideal role models. Today’s Feast is an occasion to reflect on the reaction of Mary and Joseph to the conception of Jesus, which was the defining moment of their lives. At this critical moment, what did they do? In our Gospel readings, Saint Matthew provides us with a description of these events. While we are familiar with Saint Luke’s description of the annunciation and incarnation, in today’s Gospel reading, Saint Matthew’s account of the events provides us with additional insight on Joseph’s reaction. We are told that upon learning that Mary was with child through the Holy Spirit, Joseph, unwilling to expose Mary to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Although this was his intention, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and instructed him not to fear and to take Mary into his home as his wife. At first glance, we might view Joseph’s initial reaction to finding Mary with child as something that is driven by concern that Mary had not acted faithfully. Yet, this does not make sense in the context of everything else that we know about Mary, and surely, Joseph, who knew Mary quite well, would not have reacted with suspicion. Saint Thomas Aquinas and numerous other Saints attribute Joseph’s initial reaction to his fear that he was unworthy to be the husband of someone who had received such a grace. In response, God sends an angel to Joseph to instruct him “do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” How does Joseph respond? “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him . . .” (Mt 1:14). No hand wringing, no debate, no rationalization – he just woke up and accepted his role. As our lives unfold there is no doubt that we will face numerous crossroads where we are afraid to choose the path to which God directs us. In these times, we can gain the strength to make the right decision by reflecting on the response of Mary and Joseph to God’s direction. When we reflect on Joseph’s actions in today’s readings, we can gain insight into the importance of simply accepting God’s direction while allowing our trust in God to eliminate our fears. - John Sperino