Sunday, March 19, 2006
Solemnity of Joseph, husband of Mary
March 20, 2006
Solemnity of Joseph, husband of Mary
2 SAMUEL 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16
The Lord spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, 'When
your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your
heir after you, sprung rom your loins, and I will make his kingdom
firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his
royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a
son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
ROMANS 4:13, 16-18, 22
Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was
made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason,
it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be
guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the
law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of
all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He
is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life
to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed,
hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why
it was credited to him as righteousness.
MATTHEW 1:16, 18-21, 24
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.
REFLECTION
Someone once suggested that St. Joseph might well be named the patron
saint of forcibly changed plans. There's no question, we could use such
a patron saint. God knows often enough our carefully laid plans are
wiped out by forces beyond our control, and new situations are created
that we never expected. We plan and then illness or job loss or natural
disaster or something similar blocks the fulfillment of what we
planned.
Joseph chose a lovely young fellow townswoman as his spouse, but before
he was to marry her he learned she was pregnant. He concluded that
given this new situation he had best alter his plans: he decided to
divorce Mary quietly. Then God spoke to him in a dream, and he changed
his plans again. He would wed Mary.
Undoubtedly Joseph had planned well for Mary's comfort when the birth
of the child would come in Nazareth. The Roman Emperor changed all that
with his decree establishing the census. So Joseph and Mary journeyed
to Bethlehem where he had to be satisfied with a cave used for
sheltering animals as a birthing room for his wife. Before it was time
for the family's return trip to Nazareth, God warned him about the
designs Herod had on the child, so once again he shifted gears and
instead of returning home, he fled to Egypt where he and his family
stayed for several years.
The patron saint of forcibly changed plans! Whether or not the Church
ever bestows this title on Joseph, there is much to admire in his
behavior. For one thing, he seems to have enjoyed a natural ability to
adapt easily in new situations. God is the God of surprises. Often
enough he leads us into surprising situations that we never could have
foreseen. Happy the person who, when God springs a surprise on him,
doesn't panic but moves smoothly along with the word of the Lord.
St. Joseph, patron of people on whom God springs surprises, patron of
those whom he leads into surprising situations, pray for us.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray -
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- healings for MR, BB, Carol, Fr Steve D, and Peggy O.
- for the healing and speedy recovery of Mr. Leoncio Chua.
- for the personal intentions of Mike Torres.
- for the restoration of love and understanding of Charles & Cheryl C.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Wedding Day: Jimmy Angeles & Germaine Santos
- In Memoriam (+): Angel Limqueco
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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