Author Archives: achristianpilgrim
GOD CHOSE A SIMPLE CARPENTER [MATTHEW 1:16,18-21,24]
GOD CHOSE A SIMPLE CARPENTER [MATTHEW 1:16,18-21,24]
(Solemnity: St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Always working in wonderful and mysterious ways,
God chose a simple carpenter to be the foster father
for His eternal Son. How can this be?
A mere man,
charged with the upbringing of the Son of God?
Much of this is mystery,
but we do know that when God calls someone
to do something,
He pours upon them all the grace
they need for the task.
Joseph was a man of mature faith
who trusted in the Lord.
Silent though he was,
his actions speak more loudly
than all the sermons, exhortations,
and philosophizing of Christian history.
At the beginning of Jesus’ life,
when our redemption was about to occur,
we read about one man
whose strength, trust, and humility
stand as a sign of the new creation
that Jesus would make possible
for all of us through His cross.
God spoke to Joseph through an angel in dreams,
and every time Joseph
heard from the angel,
he promptly followed God’s directives (Matthew 1:20-24;2:1-23). The situations Joseph
faced were difficult.
On the angel’s first visit,
God told Joseph of Mary’s miraculous conception
and that he should not fear
taking her as his wife.
Surely, he must have been tempted
to doubt or to be concerned
about what others might think or say.
But, without asking for further understanding
– without a single question
– Joseph acted decisively.
Like Joseph, we too are called
to be generous receivers of God’s grace,
His power which enables us
to obey Him.
Let us open ourselves to God’s will.
We can hear Him speak to us in prayer,
as we read scripture,
and while participating in the liturgy.
Sometimes our situations will be difficult
and we may be tempted to doubt God.
But, we all have the Holy Spirit,
who loves to instruct us in the ways of the Lord.
When we do God’s will,
our faith, hope,
and intimacy with God mature,
and we become more able to do the works
He prepared for us.
Jakarta, 19 March 2014
A Christian Pilgrim
(Solemnity: St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Always working in wonderful and mysterious ways,
God chose a simple carpenter to be the foster father
for His eternal Son. How can this be?
A mere man,
charged with the upbringing of the Son of God?
Much of this is mystery,
but we do know that when God calls someone
to do something,
He pours upon them all the grace
they need for the task.
Joseph was a man of mature faith
who trusted in the Lord.
Silent though he was,
his actions speak more loudly
than all the sermons, exhortations,
and philosophizing of Christian history.
At the beginning of Jesus’ life,
when our redemption was about to occur,
we read about one man
whose strength, trust, and humility
stand as a sign of the new creation
that Jesus would make possible
for all of us through His cross.
God spoke to Joseph through an angel in dreams,
and every time Joseph
heard from the angel,
he promptly followed God’s directives (Matthew 1:20-24;2:1-23). The situations Joseph
faced were difficult.
On the angel’s first visit,
God told Joseph of Mary’s miraculous conception
and that he should not fear
taking her as his wife.
Surely, he must have been tempted
to doubt or to be concerned
about what others might think or say.
But, without asking for further understanding
– without a single question
– Joseph acted decisively.
Like Joseph, we too are called
to be generous receivers of God’s grace,
His power which enables us
to obey Him.
Let us open ourselves to God’s will.
We can hear Him speak to us in prayer,
as we read scripture,
and while participating in the liturgy.
Sometimes our situations will be difficult
and we may be tempted to doubt God.
But, we all have the Holy Spirit,
who loves to instruct us in the ways of the Lord.
When we do God’s will,
our faith, hope,
and intimacy with God mature,
and we become more able to do the works
He prepared for us.
Jakarta, 19 March 2014
A Christian Pilgrim
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