Christian tradition gives us several interpretations of the dilemma Joseph faced when he discovered Mary’s pregnancy. His uprightness could be seen as devotion to Mary in not wanting to expose her to shame and disgrace. It could also be interpreted as devotion to the Jewish law in refusing to take a presumed adulteress as his wife. Finally, this uprightness could be a direct act of humility before God in hesitating to identify himself with what he perceived as the work of the Holy Spirit.

We need not decide which of these interpretations is correct — they all have some basis in tradition and some merit. However, if we consider the ambiguities in Joseph’s dilemma that are common to all of these interpretations, we can find a mirror for our own Christian response to God’s presence in life.

The heart of the matter — the area where Joseph can be our model — is his fidelity and openness to God’s will within an uncertain situation. The Gospel message is often presented as bringing certainty to our questions and doubts, sometimes at the price of oversimplifying and distorting its meaning and creating a blind and false sense of security. Today’s picture of Joseph groping and struggling is a healthy corrective model.

Ahaz was the young king of Judah facing the threat of the northern kingdom of Israel allying with powerful Syria. His rule in danger, Ahaz was engaging in political maneuvers for survival. Isaiah encouraged him to rely on God, not on other nations, for strength. The king was hesitant even to ask for a sign of God’s favor. The prophet gave one anyway — a young maiden’s child whose name would be "God with us." Most likely, this statement refers to Hezekiah, son of the king’s wife, who would rule Judah, and would be a sign that God had not forsaken his people.

The import of the sign, then, is less a prediction of the virgin birth (the Hebrew words do not necessarily imply "virgin" in the strict sense) but an affirmation that the sign of God’s care is already present. Ahaz need not look for special omens or portents. We too can find the same advice meaningful in our lives: look to the ordinary for the signs of God’s saving presence.

This psalm was sung by worshipers as they approached the temple in Jerusalem, the sign of God’s dwelling among his people. Response: "Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory."

The Christian community at Rome was composed primarily of Jewish converts whose families had migrated to Rome generations earlier. Paul had not yet visited the city when he wrote this letter, nor had he been involved in their conversion or instruction. In the introduction to his letter to them, which comprises our reading, he affirms his claim as an apostle to non-Jews in particular by pointing to the mission he shares with all apostles — to proclaim the Gospel. He also expresses the link between the incarnation and the paschal mystery: in Jesus, the Son of God became a man precisely to die and rise so that we might have life through him.

1. Faith may be less a matter of certainty in truths than of steadfast trust in uncertainty. Discuss the pros and cons of that statement.

2. How do you think Joseph felt in his dilemma? How can he be a model for your own life?