The WORD today reminds me how obedient St Joseph is.

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 Joseph discovering 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 thinks is the father of the baby. 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. 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.

Am I obedient to God? Do I follow what he asks me to do, especially the challenging ones that will entail me to step out of my comfort zone? Or do I just follow the easy ones and those I feel will be beneficial? Do I trust in God’s plans and his ways?

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 Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

Lectionary: 194

Reading I

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.

Responsorial Psalm

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.

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.

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.

My Simple Reflection

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Obedient