I think this is not how Joseph imagined he would become a father. After all, it is not that often that a virgin gets pregnant without having sexual relations. In fact, I believe it only happened once...

So it was expected that Joseph would believe that Mary had been unfaithful to him. When he was sure that his young bride was pregnant (maybe 3 or 4 months in the pregnancy), he made his mind to leave her. Yet, he did not want to make a scandal of this, so he decided to do it quietly. "The townspeople would stone her, and I love her too much to let this happen. But I can't raise a kid that is not mine..."

After he considered this, an angel appears to him. The angel explained that this had happened to fulfill a prophecy about the Messiah that would come to Israel, and that Mary had conceived from the Holy Spirit. This baby would be the salvation promised to Israel, he would be Emmanuel, God with us!

The texts of Matthew and Luke do not make this clear, but I like to think that the angel appeared to Joseph and Mary at the same night. And that the next morning, they met, talked, cried, and joined together in their first hug as a family.

For such is the Gospel: it makes families embrace each other in the mystery of the love of God.

And even if you do not have a blood family close by, rest assured that Jesus said that "those who do the will of God are his brothers and sisters" (Matt 12:50; Mark 3:35).

For such is the Gospel: it makes strangers embrace each other as brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers, in the mystery of the love of God.