Unexpected outcome: O King of the Gentiles

What was it like for Joseph to hear Mary's extraordinary tale of the encounter she had with the angel?  The two were already betrothed, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child (Mt 1:18).  The angel had said that this would come about as an act of the Holy Spirit, but how was that possible?

Joseph was a righteous man.  He believed in, even longed for the coming of the promised Messiah of whom the prophet Isaiah speaks.  He knew the words that we heard today: the young woman is with child and shall bear a son (Is 7:14) but how could he be sure that Mary's story was trustworthy?  The story sounded very strange.  Could he really trust that what he was hearing was true?  If it was true, how could he accept the fact that God was about to fulfill the promise He had made so long ago, but in such a mysterious way?

Then an angel appeared to him in a dream and called him by name: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife (Mt 1:20).  And the angel had gone further, explaining that Mary would bear a son.  They were to name him Jesus, a name which means to deliver or to rescue.  Most of the time, the details of dreams are not easily remembered once we awaken, but this dream helped Joseph to understand that he was being invited to take part in a mystery that was much bigger than he or any human being could imagine.  He woke from his sleep and welcomed this unexpected reality into his life.

Thirty years later, the scriptures portray the child who was entrusted to Mary and Joseph spending much of his time doing unexpected things that were sometimes even scandalous.  Whether he was sitting at table with sinners and prostitutes or embracing lepers and tax collectors, Jesus would often challenge people's ideas about what God is like.

God comes to us in ways that can confuse and challenge us.  At this time of year, we might expect to encounter God in cozy family gatherings and beautiful liturgical celebrations.  We might not be able to recognize him in the shivering person sitting out in the cold, or in the cranky relative that we would rather avoid, yet we are all called to belong to Jesus Christ (Rom 1:6) and God makes Himself known to us in sometimes very unexpected ways.

Our celebration of Christ's coming at Christmas is an invitation to open ourselves to new possibilities and new ways of recognizing God.  Like Joseph, may we welcome him with open and generous hearts, however he may appear.

Our journey toward the celebration of Christmas continues.  Today, we hear the sixth of the O Antiphons: O King of the Gentiles.

There are seven O Antiphons, each of which is used on one of the seven days leading up to the celebration of Christmas.