What would you do if an angel told you that God wanted you to do something extraordinary?
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 NIV
Reflection
At Christmas, the Holy Family has an opportunity to come into focus. The birth of the baby Jesus was not possible without the willingness of the very first disciple and her husband. The very young Mary accepted her mission with an incredible amount of faith, with no idea where it would take her. Truly an inspiring example of trusting and doing what God needed her to do.
Joseph, a faithful man, was given a similar mission in a similar way. He had to accept something extraordinary and submit anything he might have been thinking to God to live in accordance to that mission. Truly amazing under those circumstances. A pregnant before marriage wife who happens to be having God’s child! Should I be grateful or frightened?
Joseph doesn’t get the focus in the story. I get that. He is a humble servant. A steady example of doing what God needed for him to do without much fanfare. Plus, he doesn’t get to live long enough to see the completion of God’s work like Mary did.
Now Catholics are known to focus a good deal of spiritual time on Mary. It shouldn’t surprise anyone because she is indeed an incredible example of living a faithful life. A model of what enduring hardship on behalf of God looks like. Pregnant out of wedlock, death of a spouse, raise God’s son, and gets to watch that child die. Talk about a mission with an outcome that had an incredible rocky road. That said, while reverence for both Mary and Joseph should exist it should not replace our direct line to God. God is God. Period.
Mary is one of those characters of the Bible that deserves our attention and reflection. So does her husband, Joseph, for that matter. The two of them got a commission from God to not only survive being married to one another but to raise God’s only son. To take action whenever and wherever God instructed them as they were entrusted with an incredible mission.
Mary, as is typical of mothers, got truly a very difficult mission. She not only got to give birth, nurture, teach, and encourage Jesus. She had to live through watching His death as well. Her mission, commissioned by God, was to bring life to the Savior and to see that mission fulfilled with His death and resurrection. However, as a human, the emotional toll during that entire journey had to be challenging at times. She had to wonder what God was doing. Even though she was an insider on this plan, she had to trust the process and whatever outcome would happen. Could we do that?
I sincerely hope that as Christmas season falls upon us, we can reflect on our faith. To reflect on the promptings of God on how He needs us to be for His mission for us. While we are not called in the way Mary was, we are each called in some way. We all play a part in this creation, and our ability to hear from God and do what He needs us to do is essential.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you to the people who read what I write. Thank you for the examples of Mary and Joseph. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you for Jesus. Father, help us connect with the idea that we have a purpose in the plan. We will not know fully until we find our way Home to you. However, let us live each day knowing we serve you, and along the way, we experience all that comes our way. Please help us stay connected to you and not let the difficulties or ease of our moments lose sight of that connection. Please bless our families, friends, and those who try to take us from our connection with you. May the peace of Christmas and the joy of the birth of a child be in our hearts. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
However, I use the Holy Spirit to engage the Father and Jesus. Why? Well, I’m pretty sure Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be the intercessor for us. It would be the one to help us, guide us, and also allow us to understand God. So, once I figured that out, that is where I go.
Comments