September 8, 2010
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth…” Micah 5:1-3
…[B]ehold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:20-23
Piety
With delight I rejoice in the Lord. (Isaiah 61:10)
Study
Joseph had his life well planned out. The Israeli Dream circa 1 B.C. Establish a decent career in a trade (carpentry). Get a house (Nazareth). Find a wife (Mary). Get married and have kids. But as the poet Robert Burns has noted: “The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!”
His betrothed was found to be pregnant. Rather than cause her public shame, Joseph decided to quietly and privately break off the relationship. He would not “come forth” in this marriage. Instead, he and Mary would part ways. Until God intervened with His Plan. Enter God’s Dream circa All Time: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us."
Joseph had a unique role in fulfilling this other Dream. He had to make a choice between his dream and God’s. What would “come forth” from this union was the promised savior of all.
Action
Come forth. God has plans for each of us.
One of my favorite jokes goes something like this: Q. How do you make God laugh? A. Tell Him your plans.
We are surrounded by the forces calling for us to fulfill the American Dream circa 2010. Get that nice new car to stimulate the economy. Climb the corporate/career ladder. Put your children through the best schools. Pick out that retirement home early and save for the day you can kick back and enjoy it.
What if God has other plans?
In his book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt issues a challenge to us like the angel of the Lord issued to Joseph. Toss out that dream of yours and latch on to that dream of God’s.
Consider how we have interpreted the Good News to support our own social, political and cultural preferences. When Jesus challenges us to “Come Forth,” he challenges us to abide with him as He dwells with us.
In a column on this book appearing in yesterday’s New York Times, David Brooks summarizes Platt’s message: Jesus…made it hard on his followers. He created a minichurch, not a mega one. Today, however, building budgets dwarf charitable budgets, and Jesus is portrayed as a genial suburban dude. “When we gather in our church building to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshipping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead, we may be worshipping ourselves.”
Is there any mega-Church bigger than our Roman Catholic Church? Yet God turned to Mary and Joseph, Peter and Paul, and you and I and asks to build a personal relationship with Him. He wants us to come forth from our dream into his. Today, as we focus on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reflect on how you can transition into a lifestyle more aligned to “God with us.” What is your first step?
