Dreams are a thing in the Bible. Joseph in the Old Testament, famous for his coat of many colors, interpreted dreams and earned himself a place in Pharoah’s government. Daniel also interpreted dreams and worked for King Darius.
Joseph, Mary’s husband and father to Jesus, was no stranger to divine communication via dreams. When Jesus’ life was threatened by Herod, Joseph was told in a dream to rise and take the family to Egypt. He was obedient and he trusted. Despite having nowhere specific to go and no way of supporting himself or his family, he went in the dark of night. He did what any loving father would do, trusting that God would take care of them. And God did.
We see Joseph acting with complete trust in God. We imagine his fear for his family’s safety, his worry about the necessities of life, his awe at the instructions and their urgency. We wonder if he wondered about it. But we know he acted. We know Joseph embraced God’s perfect plan. In him we see a man who radically trusted God. We do not know if he initially struggled with what God asked of him; we only know he obeyed.
Whether we are man or woman, single or married, a parent or not, we can hold Joseph up as a model of trust and fidelity to God and his plan. When we struggle with what God asks of us, we can ask for intercession from St. Joseph. During this Christmas season, we can thank him for his obedience and docility. He played a quiet, yet important role in salvation history.
Merridith Frediani – Diocesan Publications