Angelic Messages to Mary and Joseph
We are reading from the Gospel according to Matthew for most of the coming year. The author begins the book with a long genealogy situating the birth of Jesus in a line of Jewish heritage. This sets a scriptural stage for Advent and Christmas. This week’s passage that we hear at Mass follows that genealogy and simply begins with, “This is how the birth of Jesus came about.”
It is different from the other Gospels, because it anchors Jesus’ birth with Joseph, not Mary. Luke begins the Jesus birth story, telling us that an angel appeared to Mary. Matthew tells us an angel appeared to Joseph. Both are divine messages, but they vary in detail.
Luke tells us that Mary has a dialogue with the angel, while Matthew focuses on the angel appearing to Joseph in a dream. Mary is awake for the message. Joseph is dreaming. Notice, in this weekend’s account, there is no dialogue with Joseph. He trusts that the angel’s message is true, and he acts upon that trust to take Mary as his wife. This emphasizes the moral character that Joseph possesses. He is urged by God to follow his conscience, and the unfolding of salvation history is advanced because of that trust. We owe so much to Joseph for following his heart and the message that he received from an angel in a dream.
The angel greets him in his dream with the words, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife into your home.” The acknowledgement of Joseph as ‘Son of David’ is critical because the Gospel’s audience is primarily Jewish people, and any connection to King David gives the message about Jesus’ authenticity. Rooting Joseph as a son of David roots Jesus as a son of David as well.
What can we take away from these two slightly different angelic messages? Well, despite their differences, both Mary and Joseph experience fear in the midst of their situations. In both dialogue and dream, the messenger from God assures them not to be afraid. Trusting what is the right thing and then carrying it out can often cause fear in us.
Furthermore, we can spiritually dialogue with life’s unfolding events and search for meaning in them through dialogue with other people, as Mary did with the angel.
However, sometimes we must pay attention to the deepest feelings in our heart, often in silence, to strip away the noise of life and focus on what is important. Following our conscience, that voice of goodness and truth that lies within us, often is only a dialogue with ourselves, similar to how Joseph responded to a dream.
Two Rhythms of Farming
Many of you commented on the metaphor I used in my homily last week. My college roommate Marty farms many acres of corn and beans in Ottawa, Illinois. In last week’s second reading from the letter of James, we heard that the farmer waits patiently for the fruit of the crop once it is planted.
Marty often reminds me of all the work that takes place in between the TWO major events, planting the crop and harvesting the crop. His time in between both planting and harvesting events is filled with maintenance on so many pieces of very large equipment. There also is spraying for weeds after the crop comes up. The grain from the previous fall must be hauled from bins to barges. Equipment must be washed, greased, and cleaned.
Marty plants acres and acres of corn, which, when harvested, is processed to produce ethanol for mixing with gas, and the essential elements to feed livestock such as cattle, hogs, and chickens. Marty also plants and harvests soybeans that are crushed into meal used to feed other animals, and broken down for making diesel fuel, plastics, paint, and cosmetics, just to name a few.
My metaphor is that the time of Advent is similar to the farmer planting. Advent is a time for us to plant seeds of prayer and reflection that will yield fruit in the manifestation of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, into our hearts and lives. We must care for the equipment that enables us to do that, such as planning and attending gatherings, focusing on unique forms of prayer, and embracing the Advent candles that light our way.
After Christ’s coming at Christmas, we must harvest together what that means for our world, and the equipment is a little different. The equipment is hope and joy and new life, and asking ourselves, What difference does Christmas make? That question needs maintenance. We need to stay with it to live the message that Christ truly is Emanuel with us.
Marty also reminds me how much Mother Nature is in charge, providing rain and sun that help crops to grow, but also contributes to the timing of when they are harvested. That is a lot like God’s grace, which impacts both our spiritual planting and harvesting, and the various impacts that those crops have on our lives, in much the same manner that corn is used to make fuel and feed, and soybeans are processed to make many of the things we use in our daily lives.
Take the time to plant good seeds this final week of Advent and then take time to notice the harvest at Christmas.
Merry Christmas to all of you.