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Theo Tigno•
3/19/2004 11:18 am
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Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed |
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Now 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." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for Michael Magdic, who passed away Wednesday night from pancreatic cancer.
"Joseph's decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own. The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph's adoption the child belongs to the family of David." - New American Standard Bible commentary
We make numerous decisions throughout the day. Each decision we make is motivated by the consequences of that decision. Today, we see St. Joseph, a "righteous man," who makes the decision to divorce Mary, whom he was betrothed to. St. Joseph, being a righteous man, wanted to do the will of Our Lord. This can be seen in his desire not to expose Mary to shame.
When the angel of The Lord speaks to Joseph in his dream, his decision to change his mind was motivated by the desire to be obedient to Our Lord. Who is The Lord of St. Joseph's life?
In one single decision, the consequences were great. In his decision to be obedient to Our Lord, the promises made to David were fulfilled. This fulfillment came from a single yes from a righteous man who wanted to do the will of Our Lord.
In our every decision we make, we worry about the multiple consequences that can come from our choices. Is The Lord the Lord of your motives? This is why St. Joseph is a saint, and why we celebrate the life of this "righteous man" today. Take care and God Bless.
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