DAILY- HOMILY

March 19, 2015 THURSDAY, ST. JOSEPH, Husband of Mary

Patron of the Society of Jesus

Solemnity, White

2 Sm 7:4-5, 12-14a, 16 / Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22 / Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

First Reading: 2 Sm 7:4-5, 12-14a, 16 

     But that very night, Yahweh's word came to Nathan, "Go and tell my servant David, this is what Yahweh says: Are you able to build a house for me to live in?

     When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for my name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a father to him and he shall be my son.

     Your house and your reign shall last forever before me, and your throne shall be forever firm."

Second Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22

     If God promised Abraham, or rather his descendants, that the world would belong to him, this was not because of his obeying the Law, but because he was just and a friend of God through faith.  

     For that reason, faith is the way and all is given by grace; and the promises of Abraham are fulfilled for all his descendants, not only for his children according to the Law, but also for all the others who have believed.

     Abraham is the father of all of us, as it is written: I will make you father of many nations. He is our father in the eyes of Him who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence what does not yet exist, for this is the God in whom he believed.

     Abraham believed and hoped against all expectation, thus becoming father of many nations, as he had been told: See how many will be your descendants.  

     This was taken into account for him to attain righteousness. This was taken into account: these words of Scripture are not only for him, but for us, too, because we believe in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from among the dead, he who was delivered for our sins and raised to life for us to receive true righteousness.

Gospel: Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

     Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ – the Messiah.

     This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

     Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

     While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him 'Jesus' for he will save his people from their sins."

     When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do and he took his wife to his home. 

Reflection:

     Today we honor St. Joseph to whom God himself chose to entrust the Child Jesus and his mother Mary. Joseph believed and hoped that God would fulfill all the promises he had made to the people of Israel that a Savior would come. Joseph did not see how it could happen since the House of David was in shambles, without a king on the throne of Israel for several hundred years. It was a laughingstock and there was nothing left. But God's promises are fulfilled in ways we could never imagine and Joseph continued to believe and it was credited to him as righteousness.

     His faith was strong and his love of God profound: St. Joseph was called a just man or a righteous man, one who did not sin, one who did the will of God in all things. Born, like all others, with original sin, he had to struggle with all the things of the world, the flesh and the devil. And he overcame them all so that he would be a worthy guardian of Jesus and Mary, a husband to Mary and the foster-father of the Son of God. The holiness of Joseph was such that he would accept Mary as his wife and the Child conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit as his foster-Child. Though he did not fully understand, he generously said "Yes" and was obedient to God in all things.

     Joseph was the second human being to whom the mystery of the Incarnation was revealed, with Mary being the first. Joseph recognized his own sinfulness and Mary's unique holiness and saw his own unworthiness. Yet in all humility, he was willing to be part of God's plan and to do whatever God asked of him.

     So too for us when we hear the word and promises of God: oftentimes we neither hear them nor understand them; oftentimes they are fulfilled in ways we also do not understand. But whenever God makes promises, he fulfills them for he is a faithful God. We pray for the virtues which so characterized St. Joseph: faith, hope and love. He believed in everything God promised; he had hoped confidently that God would fulfill his promises in ways he might not understand; and he loved God, Mary and the Child Jesus.

     We pray that St. Joseph would help us so that our faith will be credited to us as righteousness, that we will overcome sin all our lives, that we will be humble, holy and obedient, and that we will love God, Jesus and Mary as he did.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     GRAZIANO AND JOJI NEGRONI

     PEARLIE CHAN

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     FRANCISCO F. SUN

     AMADO SANTIAGO

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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