November 20, 2022
Gospel – December 18, 2019 – Matthew 1:18-25
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.
What’s significant here is Jesus’ being placed in the line of King David through Joseph’s adoption. At that time any adopted child by a Jewish father had full claim to all that was his adopted father’s.
Joseph was a descendant of King David and there fore Jesus was through Joseph.
It’s significant also that Joseph obeyed the “dream” angel to take a woman into his home as wife who was with child he knew wasn’t his. You want to talk about faith – there it is.
If the Holy Family was dysfunctional- by today’s definition it was – then Joseph has to be the ultimate “father” role model.
When so many fathers today abdicate their roles and responsibilities isn’t it wonderful to see the “Josephs” of the world?
St Joseph please pray for me as a father – as I prepare to say farewell to a man much like you – that I might be a model of your strengths in a world descending daily into chaos.
At least that’s what I heard Him say…
What I Heard Him Say 