Mt.1:18-24
Zen Master Hakuin lived in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He was a highly esteemed Zen master. He had a lot of disciples and followers. At one point in his life, he lived in a village hermitage close to the food shop run by a couple and their beautiful young daughter. Once the couple found that their daughter was pregnant, They were distressed and troubled, wanting to know who was responsible for the pregnancy. The girl was not willing to reveal anything and remained stubborn in the beginning. When she could resist no more harassment, she revealed that Master Hakuin was responsible. The couple confronted Hakuin, beating him in front of all his students; he simply replied, “Is it so?” When the baby was born, the family gave the child to Hakuin. By this time, he had lost all his reputation and disciples. But he was not disturbed. He took delight in caring for the child. He provided milk and all the essentials for the child. A year later, the girl, filled with remorse, revealed the identity of the father of the child. It was a young man from the nearby fish market. The mortified parents asked Hakuin’s pardon in public. They asked the child back. Though he loved the child so much, he returned it to the family without any complaint. His only reply was, “Is it so?”
On the fourth Sunday of the advent season, we are invited to meditate on the immediate events connected to the nativity of the divine saviour. Today’s gospel passage presents to us the person of St. Joseph and how God prepared him to take up a decisive role in this event. Jewish marriage has two parts. The first part is similar to betrothal though officially man and woman becomes husband and wife by this ceremony. However, they live together as husband and wife only after a period of time. Once the second ceremony is over, they will live together under one roof, and the marriage will be consummated. In the case of Joseph and Mary, only the first ceremony was over. Everyone knew that they had not lived together. Immediately after the annunciation, Mary went to Judea to serve her cousin Elizabeth. Therefore, it was impossible to blame Joseph for Mary’s pregnancy.
It was challenging for Mary to tell the world that she was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Judaism strongly promotes monotheism, and there was neither a deep understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit nor the Holy Trinity at that time. If the identity of the Holy Spirit is not clear, then how could she explain the cause of her pregnancy? If Mary attempts it at all, who will believe in her virginal conception? Someone who could understand Mary was Elizabeth and Zechariah; even Anna and Joachim, her own parents, may not have understood her fully. Joseph could have been hard on Mary since she appears to be an infidel to him. The punishment that awaits such people is stoning to death. In spite of everything, Joseph, being righteous, remains compassionate and tender with Mary. He decides to leave her in secret. Now the shame will not be on Mary but on Joseph. In fact, to protect Mary, he risked his own good name. People could have simply hooked up with gossip. The mental agony and anxiety Joseph might have had went beyond words. Finally, he arrived at the crucial decision of leaving Mary in secret.
We need to keep in mind that the fiat of Joseph was equally important as that of Mary. When the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, the angel revealed the divine plan that she would be conceived by the Holy Spirit, the divine destiny of the Son of God, and Joseph’s mission as his foster father. If he had not been ready to accept this role, the progress of the salvific mission of Christ would not have been easy. We may think someone else instead of Joseph was the foster father of Jesus, but of course, nothing is impossible for God. Even then, someone was needed who belonged to the lineage of King David to fulfil the prophecy that the Messiah would come from the house of David. Even if someone belongs to the lineage of King David, what about Mary’s marital covenant with Joseph? It could had happened that everyone would accuse Joseph for his failure and look upon Mary with pity. Even there, Jesus could not grow like a normal child, and he would be carrying the shame of an illegitimate child. All these reasons prompt us to believe that, like Mary, Joseph too was chosen by Abba Father from eternity to be the foster father of his beloved Son.
We also need to keep in mind that for Mary and Zechariah, God’s message was brought by the angel Gabriel in person, but for Joseph, this privilege was not there; he received the message through a dream. Though Zechariah was a priest of God, one who supposed to be a role model for faith as he serves the Lord at the holy of holies, yet he failed to believe. Whereas, St. Joseph got up from his sleep and acted according to the command given by the angel. He accepted Mary as his wife. It was something admirable from Joseph because could have a taken a stand thinking that since the angel told, let me just accommodate Mary. Instead, he received Mary and Jesus into his own heart, even when he knew that a normal married life was impossible for him and that he couldn’t have his own biological heir. He consecrates himself for this mission of becoming the breadwinner and protector of the Holy Family. He becomes a shepherd for the Holy Family, even risking his life to protect baby Jesus from the wrath of King Herod.
As we reflect on this gospel passage today, let us grow into the mindset of Joseph. He loved Mary unconditionally. When he comes to know that Mary is the chosen instrument of the salvific mission of God, he becomes her greatest collaborator and soulmate companion. He forgets his own dream of married life and the future, committing himself fully to the mission entrusted to him by the Lord. He was not disturbed and complaining to God even in the midst of complexities of life. He had deep trust in God, knowing that the Lord would never abandon him. Like St. Joseph, let us care for and nurture all those who are entrusted to our care with self-giving love and tender compassion.