Reflection for December 18
Bro. Mickey McGrath, OSFS, The Annunciation to Mary and Joseph
Who isn’t a dreamer? Even the most strident realist can be coaxed to reveal some long-hidden vision once held as a child. Some dreams may be simple, like winning the lottery or retiring early. Others might be born from struggle and heartbreak -- like the wish for a broken family to be made whole again. The dreams we have in sleep can seem strikingly real upon waking; others remain frustratingly fuzzy as we chase to remember them the following day. Then there’s the tradition of interpreting dreams, where both scientists and charlatans vie to offer us truth. Today’s gospel about Joseph’s dream helps to reveal a bit of who he is. But he isn’t the only dreamer in the Bible; he isn’t even the only dreamer named Joseph.
Jacob’s youngest son, Joseph, is one of the Old Testament’s most well-known dreamers. His interpretation of dreams caused jealousy among his brothers but also brought security and prosperity to Egypt. Using the gift of dream interpretation that God gave him, he was able to change his life. His dreams were transformative.
In today’s gospel, Joseph trusted God’s voice in his dream. He had many concerns about Mary’s pregnancy, but primary among them was about the shame Mary would experience. He planned to divorce her quietly. However, trusting God’s voice in a dream, he was able to change his life. His dream was transformative.
I know another dreamer named Joseph -- a high school friend who was funny, challenging, brilliant, unafraid. He sought to unify our community and develop programs that were inclusive and welcoming, long before they were buzzwords. He dreamed of a society that welcomed outsiders and then worked with agencies to make that happen. He took his dreams to Harvard, became a social worker, and safeguarded the dreams of others, particularly of children. He encouraged all his friends to share his dream of living a life for others. His dream of social change and child advocacy is still transformative twenty years after his death.
On this day, which would have been Joe’s 58th birthday, let’s consider which of our dreams can be transformative for others and envision what it would take to achieve them.
Terry Kamradt