The Word of God
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:18-23
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- In this passage, Joseph had a choice to make. He received a message from God to guide his actions to a better path than he would have chosen. The announcement about the birth of Jesus revealed the promise that he will save us from our sins. God is always with us, even if we sometimes lose sight of that.
- Can I think of times when I have felt the presence of God with me in my daily life? How does that reveal itself to me? Do I have the courage to ask for and then listen to the voice of God guiding my actions?
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Joseph found himself in a terrible dark night of the soul. He trusted Mary and yet was faced with the incontrovertible evidence that his young betrothed was with child. No words of Mary, only the action of God could resolve the problem. Imagine the relief of poor Joseph when an angel of the Lord addressed him in a dream, calling his own name, and telling him to put all his fears behind him.
- Like Pope Francis tells us let us turn today to ‘Our Lady Untier of Knots.’ Mary has practical experience of living through very difficult circumstances and seeing them resolved. She wants to help us deal with ours.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Jean Paul Sartre, in his Christmas play /Barjona/, tries to imagine Joseph in Bethlehem: /I would not paint Joseph. I would show no more than a shadow at the back of the stable, and two shining eyes. For I do not know what to say about Joseph, and Joseph does not know what to say about himself. He adores, and is happy to adore, and he feels himself slightly out of it. I believe he suffers without admitting it. He suffers because he sees how much this woman whom he loves resembles God; how she is already at the side of God. For God has burst like a bomb into the intimacy of this family. Joseph and Mary are separated for ever by this explosion of light. And I imagine that all through his life Joseph will be learning to accept this./
- Joseph often seems a shadowy support role in the nativity scene. I spend some time with him today, appreciating his integrity, valuing his ability to discern and recognising that God gave him a message of encouragement.
- Joseph, although he had made up his mind, was prepared to let his dream speak. I ask for the grace to be able to bring my decisions before God, allowing my heart to be shaped and my mind to be changed.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Jean Paul Sartre, in his Christmas play /Barjona/, tries to imagine Joseph in Bethlehem: /I would not paint Joseph. I would show no more than a shadow at the back of the stable, and two shining eyes. For I do not know what to say about Joseph, and Joseph does not know what to say about himself. He adores, and is happy to adore, and he feels himself slightly out of it. I believe he suffers without admitting it. He suffers because he sees how much this woman whom he loves resembles God; how she is already at the side of God. For God has burst like a bomb into the intimacy of this family. Joseph and Mary are separated for ever by this explosion of light. And I imagine that all through his life Joseph will be learning to accept this./
- Joseph often seems a shadowy support role in the nativity scene. I spend some time with him today, appreciating his integrity, valuing his ability to discern and recognising that God gave him a message of encouragement.
- Joseph, although he had made up his mind, was prepared to let his dream speak. I ask for the grace to be able to bring my decisions before God, allowing my heart to be shaped and my mind to be changed.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Jean Paul Sartre, in his Christmas play /Barjona/, tries to imagine Joseph in Bethlehem: /I would not paint Joseph. I would show no more than a shadow at the back of the stable, and two shining eyes. For I do not know what to say about Joseph, and Joseph does not know what to say about himself. He adores, and is happy to adore, and he feels himself slightly out of it. I believe he suffers without admitting it. He suffers because he sees how much this woman whom he loves resembles God; how she is already at the side of God. For God has burst like a bomb into the intimacy of this family. Joseph and Mary are separated for ever by this explosion of light. And I imagine that all through his life Joseph will be learning to accept this./
- Joseph often seems a shadowy support role in the nativity scene. I spend some time with him today, appreciating his integrity, valuing his ability to discern and recognising that God gave him a message of encouragement.
- Joseph, although he had made up his mind, was prepared to let his dream speak. I ask for the grace to be able to bring my decisions before God, allowing my heart to be shaped and my mind to be changed.