Mar. 20 - Monday
Matthew 1:16,18-21,24Readings
Always working in wonderful and mysterious ways, God chose a simple carpenter to be the foster father for his eternal Son. How can this be? A mere man, charged with the upbringing of the Son of God? Much of this is mystery, but we do know that when God calls someone to do something, he pours upon them all the grace they need for the task.
Joseph was a man of mature faith who trusted in the Lord. Silent though he was, his actions speak more loudly than all the sermons, exhortations, and philosophizing of Christian history. At the beginning of Jesus’ life, when our redemption was about to occur, we read about one man whose strength, trust, and humility stand as a sign of the new creation that Jesus would make possible for all of us through his cross.
God spoke to Joseph through an angel in dreams, and every time Joseph heard from the angel, he promptly followed God’s directives (Matthew 1:20-24; 2:20-23). The situations Joseph faced were difficult. On the angel’s first visit, God told Joseph of Mary’s miraculous conception and that he should not fear taking her as his wife. Surely, he must have been tempted to doubt or to be concerned about what others might think or say. But, without asking for further understanding—without a single question—Joseph acted decisively.
Like Joseph, we too are called to be generous receivers of God’s grace, his power that enables us to obey the Lord. Let us open ourselves to God’s will. We can hear God speak to us in prayer, as we read Scripture, and while participating in the liturgy. Sometimes our situations will be difficult, and we may be tempted to doubt God. But we all have the Holy Spirit, who loves to instruct us in the ways of the Lord. When we do God’s will, our faith, hope, and intimacy with God mature, and we become more able to do the works he prepared for us.
“Lord God, you love us and have a perfect plan for our lives. In love you speak your plan to us; give us the grace to listen. We know you have work for us; give us the strength to be your obedient servants.”
posted by Thomas Cagurangan @ 8:51 PM
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