No insignificant people, no insignificant events.

Today we heard that Joseph also had an integral role in all the events of the Bible. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife…” (Mt 1:20). These words of the angel’s annunciation seem to diminish the fear of a man who loves Mary very much. To understand Joseph’s inner struggle, let us briefly look at the traditions that prevailed in Israel.

It is known that betrothals took place at a very young age, at twelve to fourteen for girls and eighteen to twenty for young men. The wedding was the first of the two stages of Jewish marriage. It was a grave and binding step that already formed a union, where the young man and girl were considered husband and wife. Usually, the marriage lasted an entire year, during which time the couple did not live together, but each lived with their parents. The purpose of these betrothals was to demonstrate fidelity and purity. When the bride’s commitment had been established for one year, the husband would solemnly take her to their new home, thus ending the whole long marriage process.
But let’s get back to Joseph and his decision. When he learned that Mary was expecting a child, Jewish law commanded him to divorce her. But as we heard, Joseph was a righteous man, meaning he had to keep the direction of the forefathers and dishonor her. He was also an honest man in the sense of – meek, merciful, reasonable, so he wanted to handle the situation delicately. He chose the secret way – without legal notice, investigation, and fuss.
And would you like to know what would have awaited Mary? Unfortunately, the answer would have been sad. Mary would have been an outcast, cast away by all, and always borne the mark of a mother with an illegitimate child.
The angel dispelled the darkness in Joseph’s heart, “Do not be afraid to receive Mary” (Mt 1:20). The angel fulfilled the betrothal, opening up a huge mystery – what was going on in Mary’s person: …that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:20). It was a great surprise that shook Joseph’s life. The astonishment was much stronger than the thought of his wife being heavy. A new life and an extraordinary mission open before Joseph; from now on, he fulfills God’s law, the law of love and mercy.

In the genealogy of Jesus Christ, there is a long list of names of those who helped bring about Christ’s human nature. But behind each word is a specific person who participated with their life in the birth of Jesus. From millennia to millennia, the body and humanity of Christ have been woven.
Look, we cannot help but notice one thought: in this list of human names is preserved for us the memory not only of those who achieved holiness through their lives, but also of those who walked through sin, pushed through human weakness, and sought light, truth, and holiness out of the darkness. We now look upon those people as holy and written in Holy Scripture. How did their contemporaries perceive them?

Abraham was an unrecognized wanderer among strangers and did not have a piece of land. Therefore, to bury his wife, he had to buy land. David was persecuted as a traitor. He had to flee and serve a pagan king who was against Israel. Although David remained loyal to the nation of Israel and continued to fight against the Gentiles, he was considered a traitor. Righteous Joseph was known to all as an ordinary carpenter. Only some priests and people of high rank knew that he was of royal lineage. We are not aware of any speeches against David’s descendants’ usurper of the line. And it was these people who were unrecognized, driven away during their lifetime, by their holiness, transformed humanity.

Therefore, let none of us think that nothing changes from personal conduct and inner life; and that it makes no difference whether any of us sins or does good. Even the very mind of man, which might seem to us unnoticed, insignificant, can turn a life around and affect the people next to us.
See, Joseph, who initially had the wrong mind, was then convinced and began to think rightly. So too, we will not convince ourselves that any act of ours, our thinking, is meaningless. So we will not regard ourselves as insignificant people from whose behavior – good or bad – nothing changes. Every bad deed, every evil thought affects us and shortens the world’s life. Conversely, the good we do prolongs life and gives other people the opportunity for repentance and the reformation of life.

There are no insignificant people, no insignificant events. I am not talking about man’s greatness and inviting you to conceit – no. What is essential is the importance of the inner life, working on oneself, and the need for the salvation of oneself and other people. When we live a contented, quiet life as Joseph did, we live righteously and create an atmosphere next door that helps many people wake up, look at themselves, and come to repentance.
Thus personal righteousness and a person’s example are of great importance. Those who say that global processes rule over humanity, and we, like specks or droplets, are moving in the stream and cannot change anything are not correct. Of course, this is not the case. Even Abraham, King David, and Joseph were ordinary people. And through their righteousness, they became great.

Joseph’s story teaches us to be aware of God’s intervention in our lives. Are we ready to live with him? Like Joseph, is there restlessness and fear in your heart? Let us not be afraid; the Lord wants only good for us! Let us look today at Joseph – the Lord’s foster son, at the presence of God in our lives.

Joseph – he who lived by faith, went to God, wanted to live with God, is worthy to receive Christ. So, may today’s liturgy also be a reason for strengthening our unity with God and our faith, and may it give us the courage to receive God in the days to come with a pure heart? And may our spiritual transformation help us to live with joy a life filled with love