Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Read It:
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.

Reflect on It: Today, we see Joseph's tenderness. Pope Francis has spoken a lot of tenderness and the importance of tenderness in Christians. Joseph doesn't want to cause Mary shame, he plans on divorcing her quietly. An angel appears to him and tells him that Mary is bearing the Holy Spirit's child. Imagine the humility and humbleness of heart Joseph had to have in that moment. We often hear of Mary's fiat, her yes to the Lord for bearing the Christ child, but Joseph also has a yes. In this moment, Joseph says yes to God to be the earthly Father of his son. Imagine the pressure: You have the Immaculate Conception and the Incarnation to take care of. St. Joseph's docility and humility made him able to do this. Also, if an angel of the Lord appears to you in a dream, you should probably listen ;).


Pray about It: Father in Heaven, you sent a messenger to Joseph and helped him to be ready to love your son with your heart. Help me to see how you break through the day today! I love you and want to say yes to the things you're asking of me! Amen!

Live It! Challenge: Today, say yes to something that you know the Lord is asking of you, even if it's hard.