Matthew 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.
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for God's providence, that we may trust in it.
We all have these experiences. We look at our situations and we have a hard time seeing God's will because things just don't make sense.
If you were to put yourself in today's Gospel reading, what would you say if you were St. Joseph? What would be your reaction to the angel's promptings? Would you have done the same?
Today's reading should bring us hope, but also brings us back to the responsibility that we all have in being humble servants of God. We are all participants in proclaiming The Gospel, just as St. Joseph was called to be the head of The Holy Family. Take care and God Bless.
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