If you are engaged to a person and you found out that she is with child, how would you respond? Some might walk away from the relationship. Others might decide to remain faithful and committed to the person despite of the situation she is in. What about you?
In today's Gospel, we see Joseph finding himself in a difficult and possibly dangerous situation. He was betrothed (something like being engaged in modern times) to Mary, but until they were properly married according to Jewish law, sex was not allowed and was considered adultery. A woman found pregnant during the betrothal could be stoned to death. Because of this, Joseph "being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally." However, when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, "he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home."
Joseph knew that the child would not be biologically his, he knew there would be difficulties and challenges ahead, he knew Mary and he could be a source of gossip; and yet he was docile and humble enough to trust in the Lord. Would we be able to follow Joseph's example and do the same if we were in a similar situation?
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