43 / 88
angel, and his faith in God (as well as that ‘really good guy’ thing), sealed the
deal for him and “he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took
his wife into his home”. Just imagine if Joseph wouldn’t have listened to the an-
gel. What if Joseph decided that he wouldn’t take the chance and opted to di-
vorce Mary and move on?
God sends each of us challenges such as this all the time. Unfortunately, most of
us don’t have the help of an angel appearing to us in a dream to assist us in
guiding our decisions, so how can we do our best to seek, find, and do God’s will
in our lives? What decision is God asking you to make for Him at this point in
your life? What gift can you give to God this Christmas by doing something
that you know He is asking you to do? Now, one last thought - although the
actual quote was from the Gospel of Luke, Matthew’s Gospel passage reminds
me of Linus van Pelt and his famous monologue.
Just who is this ‘Linus van Pelt’,
you ask?
None other than Charlie Brown’s best friend, of course, whose mono-
logue was at the heart of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. In response to a question
from Charlie Brown, Linus tells his friends, who are preoccupied with shiny
lights, contests, presents, and pink aluminum trees,“what Christmas is all about”.
On national television he uses the words,“angel of the Lord”,“Saviour”,“Christ
the Lord”, and “God”without hesitation. Are we as bold as Linus? Do we wish
people a “Merry Christmas”, or the safer, more ‘politically correct’ version of
“Happy Holidays”? Do we acknowledge and give witness to the REAL ‘reason
for the season’, or are we afraid to offend others with our beliefs? Could this be
the gift that you give to God this Christmas?
Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to answer your call with the faith and sacrifice of St. Joseph,
who did your will without hesitation. Help us to find our purpose, and to live
our lives with your will in mind. We ask this, as we ask everything, through your
Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
_______
Bill Chapman
Church Environment Coordinator