Brigid Waszczak

Dear Friends,

Matthew 2:13-15

After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt. 

Today’s scripture cites the second time an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph. The first visitation was just after Mary received her own momentous meeting from the Angel Gabriel asking her to become the mother of the Messiah.

Matthew 1:18-21, 24 

When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” 

Joseph’s angelic visitations occurred in dreams. He not only believed the messages the angels conveyed, he acted on them. His was a strong faith and Joseph implicitly trusted in God’s indirect communication and specific directions. 

Most often, Joseph is portrayed as a minor player in the birth narratives. Men are usually front and center in scripture, the drivers of the storyline, but Joseph seems forgotten, a footnote, standing in the shadows at the manger scene and given no speaking part. But he’s not incidental to the plot. 

It’s easy to forget that Joseph, too, said “Yes!” He trusted God, was confident in the angel-delivered directions and said yes. “Yes! I’ll take Mary as my wife despite her mysterious pregnancy.” Joseph’s affirmative response enabled the messianic storyline we know so well to move forward. His was as significant a “Yes” as was Mary’s. 

Our own “yeses” have the same potential to significantly impact our personal storylines. Like Joseph, unbidden, unexpected information can upend our imagined future, our planned path, sending us to places we never envisioned. But, just as Joseph believed, God is always near us, granting grace and mercy for the journey.

Peace,

 —Brigid