The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121818.cfm)
reminds me that that
we should always be obedient to God.
A
lot of people ask for signs from God. However, sometimes when what he is
telling us is different from what we want to hear, we sometimes do not
recognize or acknowledge it. When his answers are different from what we are
praying for, we don’t always welcome and follow his guidance. Joseph was not
like that.
Real
obedience is following God outside your comfort zone.
In the gospel, we see that Joseph discovered Mary was
pregnant. He was an honest man, and he was planning to move away from Mary to
give space for the man who he might be the father of the baby. He wanted to go
away not because he wanted to humiliate or leave Mary, but because he wanted
her not to be humiliated in the society. However, when God’s angel appeared to
him in a dream and told him to take Mary in, he obeyed – even if it was just a
dream, even if it is something hard to believe, even if seemed crazy at that
time, and especially even if that was not his plan. He believed. He had faith.
And he obeyed.
Sometimes, we do not recognize God’s answers and
instructions, especially if they don’t seem to make sense. We only want to do
what makes sense, and what we feel is beneficial to us. but when God is asking
us to do something different, something challenging, something that will take out
of the comfort zone, we refuse to obey and sometimes refuse to even believe and
acknowledge it. However, we should be reminded and inspired by St Joseph’s
obedience. We should be inspired by his faith. That even if it doesn’t make
sense, we should obey – because God can see the big picture and what he asks us
to do always forms part of his great plans for us.
Do I pray to God for guidance? How does he respond? How
do I respond? Do I obey him just when it is beneficial or when it is what I
wanted, or do I follow him even if what he is telling me is different from what
I have in mind?
May we be inspired by St Joseph’s obedient heart.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank
you for another day to live. thank you for another chance to experience your
love. Thank you for the inspiration. Lord, sorry for the times I don’t hear and
acknowledge you, especially when you are asking me to do something different.
Sorry for not obeying you and for being scared. Sorry for doing only what I
feel is beneficial for me. Help me have faith like St Joseph. Help me be
obedient like St Joseph. I know that as I surrender, you will use me and
include me in your great plans. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
December
18, 2018
Tuesday of the Third Week of
Advent
Lectionary: 194
Lectionary: 194
Reading 1 JER 23:5-8
Behold,
the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Responsorial
Psalm PS
72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
R.
(see 7) Justice shall flourish in
his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT
1:18-25
This
is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus
No comments:
Post a Comment