January 23: The Feast of the Espousal

   On January 23, we celebrated the marriage between Joseph and Mary.  The story of salvation runs through this couple.  It was a couple that first broke us away from God in Adam and Eve.  And in Joseph and Mary, salvation begins anew.  It was not their doing, but their cooperation with what God wanted to do that gave a proper place for God’s plan of salvation.

   And so, all couples should see that they are part of God’s plan of salvation.  Not that we have the Only Begotten Son of God in our family.  But that every couple is called to cooperate with God’s plan of salvation.  It is in the family that the next generation is brought forth.  It is in the family that the next generation is nurtured and guided.  If we look past this part of our cooperation with God, we will not see the fruits that He intends to bring.

   Mary cooperated with God through the message of an angel.  And Joseph did likewise.  We will not all have an angel to give us a message from God.  But we will get what we need, when we need it.  We have to be listening, though.  In a world of noise, it is terribly hard to listen.  So, we need to make space for God to speak to us.  We need to make space for silence.

   And celebrate on this day, the marriage of the holiest of couples, a couple that God choose to bring about your salvation.  Indeed, we need to hold them up for all that they have done to cooperate with God.  And then, ask them to help us to cooperate in our lives.

   Mary and Joseph, you cooperated with God’s plan of salvation though it caused you great hardships.  Help us to cooperate with God’s plan through the hardships to see the joy it brings to Heaven and earth.  Amen.