Mt 1:18-25  (Gospel reading for Christmas Vigil Mass)

I never gave much thought before about how Joseph reacted when an angel appeared to him and shared the news that Mary was going to bear Jesus.   This year it kind of hit me… surely, so many thoughts must have been going through Joseph’s mind!

• An angel?  Appearing to me?  Wait, this is kind of hard to believe.
• What?! My betrothed is pregnant?!  Impossible!  (Or rather, if she did conceive without my knowledge, how embarrassing!)

Now, Joseph was a devout man, and the Gospel makes it seem that he accepted this news with such ease.   If I put myself into his shoes, as a man engaged to be married myself, I would have a hard time dealing with this!

How would I not have emotions of anger, or fear, or embarrassment of the woman I am with?  How do I answer others who ask questions skeptically and don’t believe my answers?  How would I accept the fact that I would now need to be a father, protector, and care-taker of something that I didn’t have a hand in?

This Christmas, I am reminded that God will often  give me gifts that force me to change my plans for the future.   So many times I think I’ve got it “all together” and my “master plan” is in full force, but God can quickly turn that on its head.  Not that I really know what will come, but I have to entrust the future to him.   Joseph did, and with great generosity and spirit.

Maybe that is what the giving spirit of Christmas is all about.  Less so in giving gifts to one another, but gifting ourselves to a more masterful plan — God’s plan for our lives by welcoming Jesus openly into ours.

Triệu Minh Quân Paul, Phụ Trách Chung (General Coordinator)