‘Twas the week before Christmas, and in homes far and near,
People were seeking true holiday cheer.
But caught in the stress of holiday giving,
Peace on Earth wasn’t what they were living.
“What should I buy? What should I get?”
Will my expectations for Christmas be met?
Mom in her apron, in a very foul mood,
Worried about cooking: would there be enough food?
Dad, too, was cranky, showing ill-will,
Worried about paying those big Christmas bills.
And the children were impatient – the girls and the boys,
As they thought only of presents: the gifts and the toys.
As with many things in life, they were caught unprepared,
Forgetting that it was Jesus who was meant to be shared.
But then what to my blood-shot eyes should appear,
But an angel of God, with good tidings to share.
“A child will be born – he’s on his way,
That if you will let Him, will change all your ways.”
“The gifts He brings are Joy, Mercy and Love,
Sent by the King of Kings from above.”
Are you ready for Christmas? At this time of year, that question is often used as a mundane conversation starter, similar to and with the same intent as “What do you think of the weather?” – we really don’t care what the answer is, but it tends to break the ice for further conversation.
But an answer I received to that question a couple of weeks ago really caused me to stop and think. Oh, I’ve heard the same answer before, and I’m sure some of you might even feel this way today. But for some reason it really disturbed me this year.
The Answer?
“I’ll just be glad when it is all over.”
Almost as bad was the sign on the door of one of our residents where I work: “Please no Christmas gifts. I’m allergic to them.”
Why do we allow the Advent season leading up to Christmas to sour us toward the spiritual celebration that should take possession of our hearts? After all, although the story of Santa Claus and gift-giving in general in one of its various forms or another has come to be part and parcel of our holiday tradition, the real Christmas story is that God so Loved the World that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our salvation history as a baby, and we celebrate it not because it is a birthday party (well, maybe a little), but because it reminds us of the wonderful gift that we have received from God of Himself, becoming Man to be with us and to save us from ourselves. And we celebrate to remind ourselves that Jesus not only became one of us in history, but He will come again in Glory.
It can be easy to forget that. For many, Christmas will be a joyous occasion with lots of gifts, lots of food, and maybe even a bit of overindulgence. But for many, it will also be a time of sadness, stress, worry or, frankly, more than a little aggravation. And I’m sure that it wasn’t any better 2,000 years ago.
Today’s Gospel gives us some insight into the worry, the stress, the sadness, of one of the key players in Jesus’ birth – St. Joseph.
Of all of the significant players included in the entire Bible – both Old and New Testament – whose lives played an integral part in salvation history, there are few as enigmatic as St. Joseph. Considering the role he played as the foster-father of Jesus, when compared to all other characters in the Bible he is, if not the only one, one of the very few who had no lines whatsoever in the story of our faith. What little we know of him comes from today’s Gospel and a handful of other asides scattered here and there, and through Church tradition:
So what do we know of St. Joseph? Well:
• According to Matthew’s geneology, Joseph was a son of Jacob. But according to Luke, he was the son of Heli. And when the Angel in today’s Gospel calls him “son of David”, it of course doesn’t mean literally, but that he is direct descendant of David. It is through that relationship that Jesus comes to fulfill the prophesy and promise of the coming of a savior made by the prophets.
• It is also through Matthew’s Gospel that we learn that Joseph was a carpenter. In Mark’s Gospel, Joseph is never mentioned by name. In fact, he only refers to Jesus as the carpenter – and as the son of Mary. And while in the infant narratives of Luke he gets a lot of coverage, Luke never identifies either Joseph or Jesus as carpenters.
• Finally, in all of the Gospels Jesus himself never refers to Joseph as his father. He only refers to God as being his father, as when as a child his mother asks him: “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety” and he replies: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” and he didn’t mean Joseph’s. And again, when he was told that his family was outside wanting to talk with him: “Who is my (family)? … (W)hoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Anything else concerning Joseph as a person comes from today’s Gospel:
• He was to be married to Mary, who was betroved to him.
• He was a righteous man.
• He had a strong faith in God – enough to believe the visions he received in his dreams from God’s angel messengers, and
• He did as he was told by angels:
o When told not to be afraid to Mary as his wife, he obeyed and took her into his home.
o When told that the child’s life was in danger and to flee to Egypt, he obeyed and did it.
o When told to return from Egypt, he did, and upon returning he was directed to the region of Galilee, where he went.
In a sense, St. Joseph might be considered the first deacon, as he called to serve Jesus through Mary.
I don’t know about you, but I personally would find it hard to believe anything I was told to do in a dream – especially if it was as dramatic as what Joseph was commanded to do.
And why do we assume that Joseph was overly poor? After all:
• He was a craftsman, a necessary trade of the times and he must have been somewhat successful since his personal skill was recognized by those in the region.
• There was no room at the Inn – but not because he couldn’t afford it. They sought lodging but, probably due to Mary’s condition, they had to travel slowly and so arrived later than expected. Knowing that Mary needed shelter, Joseph did the best that he could.
One thing for certain, even without ever recording a word spoken by Joseph, we know that through his actions that he had to have had an impact on Jesus as he grew up. And like Joseph, good or bad, the presence – or in many cases the absence – of our fathers have shaped us in into the people we are today. It then becomes up to us to shape our children and those who God puts into our lives, knowing that if our personal examples were poor we still have a loving Father-God who has shown us the loving and merciful way to serve our family and friends.
Which brings us back to our Christmas poem. During this next week and into the Christmas season, it can be easy for us to get caught up in the stress and worry of this season instead of celebrating the joy that it represents – the gift of God from God to us. We may not feel like celebrating – we may be grieving the loss of a loved one, or we might even be angry or scared or worried or just overwhelmed by life.
But the true gift of Christmas – Jesus – and His peace and joy and strength is for each and every one of us. Drawing on that gift can help us in how we face our challenges and will affect those we encounter – as parents and co-workers and neighbors and friends. And we have an opportunity to share the Good News with all who we encounter. So let us embrace the gift of Jesus and next week proclaim to one and all:
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night.
