On this final Sunday of Advent, first we hear God speaking through the prophet Isaiah promise a miraculous virgin birth of a child to be named “Emmanuel”, which means “God with us” or “God has now come to be with us.” Then in Matthew’s Gospel, writing to a primarily Jewish audience quite familiar with Isaiah, he reminds them of what the prophet had foretold. The miracle has now come to fulfillment. But, like most things in life, it was complicated. Joseph, upon learning that his betrothed Mary was with child thought it best to quietly divorce her rather than expose her to shame. The Lord, however, sent an angel in a dream to Joseph telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife for the child had been conceived through the Holy Spirit. It is hard for us to imagine the internal conflict Joseph must have experienced. How hard this must have been to accept. He was a righteous but simple carpenter in a small town. He had no way to foresee how he could be part of God’s plan of salvation for all mankind through this unborn child. There are many times in our own lives where we too face difficult decisions and dilemmas with consequences we can’t foresee either. While we probably won’t be visited by an angel, we do have the power of prayer to guide us in these situations. In the hymn titled, “I Found the Way” the lyrics go “I found the answer. I learned to pray. With faith to guide me, I’ve found my way. The sun is shining for me each day. I found the answer, and I learned to pray.” Remember that our prayers may not be answered as we expected or on our timetable, but God will answer us if we sit quietly in prayer with our heart open, trusting in His great love for us. Both Mary and Joseph trusted in God and said “yes” when the angels came with what seemed impossible requests. How might God use you if you have the faith to say “yes” to what he asks of you! Reflection by parishioner, Dale Gerber