DAILY- HOMILY

MARCH 19, 2009
SOLEMNITY, JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY
THURSDAY 3RD WEEK OF LENT – YEAR I

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
Today is the feast of St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary. Joseph
was a righteous man. He knew the teachings and laws of his Jewish
faith and followed them as a way of life. Joseph was also
compassionate. He had no intentions of subjecting Mary to the severe
punishment of the law for being pregnant outside of marriage. He was
also attentive to the message of God and courageous in doing what God
asked him to do. It was an important part of God's plan that the
foster father of Jesus would be a righteous, compassionate, obedient
man, a companion to Mary to form a family for God's Son, Jesus.
Together, Joseph and Mary modeled virtuous lives for Jesus, as he grew
in wisdom .

The importance of the role of Joseph in the life of Jesus is further
made clear in his connection to King David. The Hebrew Scriptures
continuously prophesied that the Messiah would come from the house of
David and the ancestry of Joseph provided such a link. In Jesus, the
prophecies concerning the permanence of David's reign were fulfilled.
His reign will last forever through his son, Jesus. Joseph played a
critical part in the ancestral connection and the fulfillment of God's
promises.

Celebrating today's feast is an occasion of rejoicing in the lives of
all Christians. We rejoice that God is faithful to his promises. We
rejoice in the virtues of Joseph's life that enabled him to do God's
will and to speak to our hearts calling us to be righteous before the
Lord. Joseph is a model of compassion, obedience, and courage, and if
we follow his example, our lives will be honorable vessels to bring
Jesus to others.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and strength of:
- Marlyn Tadeo
- Eligia Fernando
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Ester Marcelo
- Elena
… for the personal intentions of: Hernane B. Suede
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… Birthday: Elsa
… Thanksgiving: Fr. Rodney Hart, S.J.
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Fr. Tom Green, S.J.
- Sister Teresa Mabasa, DC
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them.
May they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Pearlie Chan
- Birthday: Joji and Graziano Negroni
- In Memoriam (+): Angel Lqueco+
- In Memoriam (+): Elena Ng Chang
- In Memoriam (+): L Pue
… for the healing and peace of all families

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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