September 8, 2005

The feast of the nativity of the blessed virgin mary Mt 1:18-23

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.”

Mary was accepted by Joseph. She was the virgin too bear the son of God. The angel came to Joseph in a dream to instruct him to not be afraid and take Mary as his wife. Joseph is of the house of David, a long lineage that is in the tree of Jesse and goes back to Abraham. Many homilies center on Mary accepting the will of God. This morning it strikes me how amazing and wonderful that Joseph could listen to the angel in his dream and continue to love Mary and follow the will of God.