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Friday of the Third Week of Advent

Readings of the Day 
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Through their shared Jewish tradition, Mary and Joseph would have
known the coming Messiah would be the "righteous shoot to
David" in whom "Justice shall flourish in his time."
We heard this proclaimed from the prophet Jeremiah and the Psalm.
 

We see in the Gospel how Joseph (from the House of David) practices
human righteousness and justness before Jesus' birth. In their
first century Palestinian context, Joseph had a difficult choice about
what appeared to be Mary's morally suspect situation - one that
was certainly perilous for her.  Even before his life-changing
dream, Joseph made up his mind to practice mercy and not expose Mary
to shame.  With the intervention of the divine by way of his
dream, Joseph responds to God's call by doing "the
more," taking in Mary and providing, protecting, and loving her
and her unborn Jesus despite the risk. 

God's salvation through Jesus is not easy or convenient. We
learn this from the moment of Jesus' conception: salvation
involves sacrifices and really messy work that includes
misunderstanding and being misunderstood, leaving our homes, and even
risking death. Showing how grace operates on nature, Joseph's
basic human decency and openness to God provides the ground for
God's salvific action in the world and a model of human
righteousness for Jesus from the moment of his birth.

God's salvation through Jesus continues today.  As we pray
with this Scripture, what situation in our world comes to mind that is
seemingly morally suspect?  Crossing the border without
papers?  Prostitution from human trafficking?  Protesting
unjust laws in ways that risk arrest?  Like Mary, the people in
these situations may seem morally suspect at first.  When viewed
from the ground of basic human decency, can we be like Joseph and find
a way to respond that seeks to understand the movement of God in their
lives in ways that inhabit mercy and righteousness and lead to
healing?  With God's salvific action moving through us,
what more is possible?  The transformation of the sinful systems
that render these actions necessary and lead to justice?  With
St. Joseph, let us pray for the willingness to listen to God's
call to do the magis and to enter into the suffering of others (the
definition of compassion) for the salvation of our human family, so
justice can flourish in our time. 

Mary J. Novak, J.D., M.A.P.S., serves as Associate Director for
Mission Integration at Georgetown University Law Center and was the
founding Board Chair of the Catholic Mobilizing Network.



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