It is one of the mysteries of our Christian faith and spirituality that grace seems to work in so many different ways in bringing us to salvation. Notwithstanding the many influential factors at work in the life of each one of us, there does seem to be the added factor of God’s choice or decision. Otherwise, why do Simeon and Anna manifest such a seamless transition from their longing for the Messiah to the act of recognizing him when he is brought by his parents to the temple. And why doesn’t a comparably devout Jew like Saul (who becomes Paul) similarly recognize the one he instead begins by persecuting and trying to destroy? We also don’t really know about the spiritual prelude to Saint Joseph’s openness and obedience to the message of an angel given in a dream. Clearly, he was chosen by God for his important role in the history of salvation. This choice by which certain people seem to be more abundantly filled with grace than others is to be distinguished from predestination and its suggested elimination of human freedom. This side of the grave, we cannot fully understand God’s choices or the action of grace in our lives. However, we do need to constantly reaffirm that it is God’s will that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. How that will unfold in our lives is something that we are intimately engaged in even as we participate in this Eucharist. Through the intercession of Saint Joseph may we, like him, open ourselves to God’s grace and saving plan for our lives.