Greetings, Readers, and Happy Advent
December 9, 2024 | By Isaac Oberman DC ‘26
image description: stained glass window of the Holy Family
Advent is the time of the year in Christian worship when we celebrate Jesus’ coming to Earth as a newborn baby. The season’s focus is often on the idea of preparing the way for Jesus’ coming by humbling our hearts and focusing on the rather indescribable idea of God becoming Man. But it wouldn’t have been possible without two persons who are essential to our understanding of Advent: Mary and Joseph.
The mother and adoptive father of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, are the center of the Christmas story. In their respective roles in accepting God’s plan for Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph were present and essential to welcoming Jesus on Earth. The Biblical narrative does not hold back in describing for us the feelings and the difficulties that both Mary and Joseph felt in their respective roles. By doing this, the Bible shows us two very real and very human examples of what it means to celebrate Advent.
Looking first to Mary’s example, we see a young woman who has the choice to accept the monumental destiny thrust upon her. The Archangel Gabriel visits her, calling her to become the mother of the savior of her people and fulfill the ages-old prophecy. One of the most underappreciated aspects of Mary is the fact that she was already going through a frightening time in the life of a young woman. As she is visited by angels and told that she is the highly favored of God, she is already in the midst of a betrothal to Joseph. I can only begin to imagine the fear and anticipation present in a young woman getting ready for marriage, even before she starts having divine encounters. In the midst of these scary times, Mary is able to submit to God’s plan for the savior, and through her own free choice, becomes the Mother of Jesus.
What we see in the example of Mary is a humbling of the self to accept God’s plan. Particularly, we see how this humbling leads to peace in the midst of stress. With Mary’s words “Let it be done to me” (Luke 1:38), Mary finds comfort in allowing whatever God has ordained to come to pass. The Christmas season often manifests in another important way: a time of joy and cheer, when all is merry and bright. Later on, when Mary meets with her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant herself with John the Baptist, we see this same joy manifest in the kicking of John in the womb and Elizabeth’s song of joy (Luke 1:39-45). The coming of Jesus and Christmas, heralded by Advent, is a distinct moment of joy to the world.
While Mary is the primary protagonist of the Christmas story, we would be remiss to overlook her spouse, Joseph. Joseph must have had that same anxious feeling about the prospect of a new marriage, a truly special and sacred relationship. As he is preparing to wed Mary, it must have been quite a shock to see that Mary had already gotten pregnant, seemingly breaking the pledge they had made to each other. Of course, this child was of the Holy Spirit; Mary had not been unfaithful. But placing ourselves in Joseph’s shoes, the shock, doubt, and mistrust would have been more than understandable. Joseph had been ready to cancel their marriage plans quietly (Matthew 1:19) until he was given a divine encounter of his own. He learned of the plan God had made, and like Mary, humbled himself and made himself ready to act as a father to God.
In Joseph’s side of the story, we see another part of the Advent season: cutting through doubt and finding trust in the seemingly unbelievable. Joseph’s humility led him to a trust in the plan God had made—trust in his wife, Mary—and manifested a readiness and desire to fulfill his duty as a protector and provider for Mother and Child. Joseph’s role looks much different from Mary’s role: while she was to bring God into the world, he was to lead her to Bethlehem and lead his family away from the danger presented by King Herod’s jealousy of a newborn king (Luke 2:16). He physically prepared the way for the Lord, proclaiming Jesus’ birth in the simple act of leading a camel through the desert.
Looking to Mary and Joseph, how can we prepare the way of the Lord this Advent season? By humbling ourselves as both Mary and Joseph did to accept their destinies and God’s will, we can be led to the many beautiful aspects of the Advent season. We must cut through the stress of daily life with moments of peace in knowing that God’s plan is good. By anchoring our trust in the Lord and in each other while in the midst of so much doubt, just as Mary and Joseph did, we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Simple acts of kindness and holiday spirit are louder than they seem; just as Joseph’s camel thundered with each step carrying Jesus, our caroling can sing out the triumph of Jesus’ coming. Let us not forget joy. The joy that Advent sings out carries us through until that momentous day that is Christmas, where we with all others can marvel at Jesus' coming, a time of peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. As we journey toward Christmas, let us echo the message of Mary and Joseph: Prepare the way for the Lord.