NOT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR

Jesus, help me believe that the gifts I get are perfect for me! Amen.

When Joseph found out that Mary would be the mother of Jesus, he decided not to marry her. But in a dream, an angel said to him, "Joseph, take Mary home with you. The Holy Spirit gave her this child, and you will name Him Jesus, because He will save the world." Joseph married Mary, and, soon, Jesus was born.

Sometimes, you just don't understand Christmas. No matter how good you are, you never get every present you ask for!

Oh, the stuff under the tree is nice -- but you might ask for real golf clubs and get toy ones, or get some toys on your list, but not all of them. Why can't Christmas happen exactly as you wish?

Joseph probably started out on your side. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 1:18-24), he's certainly not happy about the way Christmas is shaping up for him.

Joseph is engaged to Mary, but then he finds out Mary is going to have a baby, Jesus. Of course, Joseph panics: They're not even married yet; and what do they know about bringing up the Son of God? This is not the way Joseph dreamed his marriage would start.

In your imagination, Christmas is perfect. Every gift you ever wished for is under the tree, all more fun than you pictured. In reality, you probably had a long list, and no kid gets everything they ask for. There are lots of kids in the world who need gifts!

No one gets exactly the Christmas they dream about -- but that doesn't make it bad. Joseph and Mary had a baby to take care of before they thought they were ready, and Jesus was the most important baby in the world, too! But, with the help of an angel, they decided to look at Jesus as a gift.

Like the stuff under your tree, Jesus was a different gift than expected, and maybe not even the gift that Joseph and Mary asked for. But, as they played with Him on the first Christmas, they realized that they got exactly the gift they were supposed to have.

(12/20/07)