20/03/2024
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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
St.Joseph, Groom of Blessed Virgin Mary - Ceremony
Week 5 of forty
📒 First Lesson : 2 Samuel 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16
4) That night the voice of the Lord was heard to Nathan saying this,
5) "Go and say to my servant David - thus says the Lord:
12) When your days will be completed and you will rest with your ancestors, I will make your son your heir and will keep his kingdom.
13) He will build a temple in my honor and I will make his throne strong forever.
14) I will be his father, and he will be my son.
16) Thus shall thy clan and thy kingdom be formed before me, and his throne shall remain strong till eternity. "
Second lesson: Romans 4:13, 16-18,22
13) God promised to Abraham and his descendants that they would inherit the earth. It was not because Abraham obeyed the code, but because he believed and God considered him righteous.
16) Everything depends on faith and so on grace. That promise applies not only to those who obey the Code, but to all the descendants—to all who believe like Abraham.
17) Abraham is the father of all of us. As it is written- I have appointed you the father of many nations. Abraham is our father in the eyes of God. They believed in God, who revives the dead and brings into existence what is not.
18) Abraham believed with hope even in despair, and he became the father of many nations, as he was said—thy shall be countless descendants.
22) Because of this faith God considered them righteous.
📙 Gospel: Saint Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A
(16) From Jacob, Mary's husband Joseph, and from Mary Jesus, who is called Christ.
(18) Jesus Christ was born thus. Her mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but it happened that Mary was pregnant with the Holy Spirit even before she was together.
(19) Her husband Joseph was secretly thinking of abandoning him, because he was righteous and did not want to defame Mary.
(20) He was considering that he saw the angel of the Lord in his dream saying, "Joseph! Son of David! Fear not to bring your wife Mary home, for the womb she has is from the Holy Spirit.
(21) They shall give birth to a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for they shall free their people from their sins. ''
(24) Joseph woke up from sleep and brought his wife to his place according to the command of the angel of the Lord.
📚 Meditation - Contemplation
Saints Mathew and Saint Luke describe Jesus' childhood in their gospel. When Mathew presents Jesus' childhood details from the perspective of Saint Joseph, Luke presents it from Mary's perspective. Today as we celebrate the greatness of Mary's husband, Joseph, the Church puts the gospel of Saint Mathew before us. Joseph faced a strange situation of his wife being pregnant without physical contact. Yet the gospel-writer says Joseph was "secretly thinking of abandoning him, because he was righteous and did not want to defame Mary. "This reflects the generosity of Joseph. This greatness of Joseph is called justice in the gospel. Therefore the gospel calls them "righteous". Justice according to our thinking means giving someone what they deserve. But liberal behavior in the gospel is called justice. According to the gospel, every person in society deserves generosity. Lord Jesus wants us to be good and gentle in our behavior with others. Only then can we be generous. Therefore Jesus says to us, “Learn from me; I am humble and humble by nature” (Matthew 11:29).
📚 Meditation - Contemplation -2
US President Abraham Lincoln sat down with his ministers to pray once during the Civil War. During this time a minister said, "Let us pray that God be with us." Abraham Lincoln biting at this, said, "Praying like this is not the right approach." We must pray that we are with God. "Lincoln reminded his fellow ministers that God is not a tool and weapon we can use for our purpose but an invitation to open us to God's plan."
The greatest characteristics of Saint Joseph's character is the intensity and eagerness to be involved in his God's plan. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, he felt deeply hurt. They decided to quietly abandon Mary. But at night the angel told them in dream that Joseph should not be afraid to accept his wife. For what is in her womb is through God. This was unbelievable. But they believed the word of God and rose up and brought Mary home.
The Bible considers religious to those who believe in Godly plan that seems impossible. Abraham believed God's promises even in circumstances when they seemed like fairytales. Abraham had no children but he was promised to be his descendants. "God took Abraham out and said, "Gaze more of the sky and if possible, count the stars." He also said to him, your peace shall be so big. Abraham believed in God and therefore God considered him righteous. (Genesis 15:4-6) In the name of Saint Paul the Romans consider Abraham religious because of his faith, "Abraham believed in hopeless circumstances..... They firmly believed that God was able to fulfill what He promised. Because of this faith God has considered them righteous. ’ (Romans 4:18-22)
When God told Noah to build a vessel he did all that God told him. Therefore the Bible calls Noah religious and righteous. (Genesis 6:9)
Saint Joseph did all that God wanted from him by obeying God. That's why the Bible addresses them as religious. The life of Saint Joseph teaches that our true righteousness is in doing God's will. We make many decisions in our life. Do we think what God wants from us? Did we try to know God's plan and will? Let us recognize and implement God's plan for us in prayer and word.
