Thanks to the pastor of my home parish when I was in High School, Fr. Marcone, I’ve had a devotion to St. Joseph now for over 30 years. So I’m always excited when the lectionary offers Gospel passages that allow us to reflect on this quiet giant of our faith. Of all the things we hear in this passage about Joseph’s Annunciation, one tiny word stops me in my tracks: “Yet.”

That’s right – a three-letter word that changes everything. Listen again: “Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.”

Thanks so much for stopping by to read this homily for this weekday of Advent – December 18, 2024.  I appreciate your sharing this on your social media posts and your feedback and comments…  I’m also grateful for all those who’ve asked for the audio version and share them as well at SOUNDCLOUD click HERE or from ITUNES as a podcast HERE.  May the Lord be glorified in your reading and sharing- Father Jim – 

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There’s a universe contained in that sentence. You have Joseph’s noble heritage as a son of David’s line. You have the weight of religious law pressing down on his shoulders. You have the whispers that would surely come, the sideways glances, the judgment of neighbors who would count the months between wedding and birth. Any one of these could have driven Joseph to harsh action.

But in that one little word – yet – we hear the beating of Joseph’s broken heart. All those concerns were real, were justified, were true. Yet – Joseph loves Mary. Joseph loves God. And in that love, he searches for a solution that will protect her dignity even as his dreams crumble to dust.

And then – God intervenes.

As Joseph lies in the darkness, his heart heavy with the loss of the future he had imagined, God speaks. Through an angel in a dream, God confirms Mary’s incredible story and reveals something even more astounding – Joseph isn’t being written out of the story; he’s being written into the greatest story ever told. All he needs to do is trust those four powerful words: “Do not be afraid.”

Two thousand years later, God is still writing stories. Still looking for men and women willing to say “yes” when everything logical says “no.” Sometimes it’s in life’s small moments – when we’re too busy, too tired, too stressed to help someone in need. Sometimes it’s in those crossroad moments when God asks us to completely rewrite the script of our lives.

But here’s the truth that Joseph’s story echoes across the centuries: When God interrupts our plans, it’s not to use us – it’s to transform us. When our carefully constructed dreams shatter, it’s because God is building something far more beautiful than we could imagine. When the ground crumbles beneath our feet, it’s because God is teaching us to fly.

So today, in this moment, what dream is God asking you to surrender? What impossible situation is He asking you to face? What angel is whispering “do not be afraid” to your doubting heart?

Remember Joseph – the man who chose love over law, trust over certainty, God’s dream over his own. And remember that every saint, every hero, every person who ever changed the world started with the same simple word that lies before you now:

Everything in your life may be saying no… yet God is calling.
Everything may seem impossible… yet God is waiting.
Everything may feel broken… yet God is ready.

And you? You may feel unprepared, unworthy, unable… yet God has chosen you.