Friday of the Third Week of AdventThrough 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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