God’s message to Mary and Joseph applies, at least metaphorically, to us too: You are blessed with a child, do not be afraid.God asks us to give birth to love in the world, to plant the seeds of peace and justice every day of our lives.

Note: For the gospel, we heard a re-imagining of the Angel’s visit to Mary and Joseph:

During the occupation of ancient Israel by the Roman Empire, about seventy years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, a young woman named Mary, from the small village of Bethlehem, was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. They were a humble working class couple who were well liked by their neighbors and were devout in their Jewish faith.

One night a messenger from God appeared in their dreams and told them, “Be at peace for God favors you. You will be blessed with a child who will be God’s anointed one. His name shall be Jesus, which means God saves, for he will be the manifestation of God’s love given to the world to lead the people to healing and wholeness. Through him they will know God is with them and be reconciled to God and to each other. Do not worry as you raise the child for God will be with you, guiding you and giving you strength and wisdom.”

At first they didn’t think anything of their dreams, but when Mary later discovered she was pregnant, she and Joseph remembered the words of God’s messenger and shared with each other what they had dreamed. Realizing they had received the same vision, they were at peace for they knew God watched over their family.