A Thought For The Week Of December 9

"Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." (Matthew 1:19) Joseph often gets ignored as Christmas approaches. The focus is on Jesus, of course, and also on Mary. Mary gets a significant part of the first two chapters of Luke's Gospel, she appears during Jesus' lifetime, she's at the foot of the cross, and she's a witness to the empty tomb. But Joseph? A few words in the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, and a couple of mentions of his name in other places. Otherwise, he's often the forgotten one of the Christmas story - there, but not really noticed. Which is a shame. Joseph was a good and compassionate and merciful man. The reference to Joseph deciding to divorce Mary sounds harsh, but it was actually a choice that reflected these qualities. Mary had been found to be pregnant before marriage - and not with Joseph's child! And the story she told? About the Holy Spirit? Difficult to believe. If Joseph married her, he'd potentially be the object of ridicule. And he could have openly condemned her - and the penalty for a woman who became pregnant outside of marriage in those days was not a pleasant one to say the least. But Joseph would do what he had to do quietly - showing those qualities of goodness, compassion and mercy by not exposing her publicly. And, ultimately, he would show great faith - believing what God would reveal to him about the child and acting as human father and protector to both Jesus and Mary. He was a good man, and he was a good example - reminding us that goodness, compassion, mercy and faith should be the characteristics of our lives as well, all through the year. Have a great week.