Some Saints are privileged to extend
to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in
others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases,
in every necessity, in every undertaking. - St. Thomas Aquinas
Gospel text (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.
Today’s Gospel reading shows us how
grace builds on our nature. It takes our good qualities and fills them with
God’s goodness. It was grace that moved Mary to say yes to the angel’s
invitation to become the Mother of God. It was grace that moved Joseph to
embrace his vocation as the guardian of Israel’s Messiah. It’s the same grace
that empowers us to accept God’s calling and wisdom for our lives.
Our human reason is a precious gift
from God, but it was never meant to function independent of God. Our heavenly
Father wants to teach us how to use his logic, the logic of divine love, as the
foundation for all our thoughts, decisions, and actions. But for this to happen,
we have to become sensitive to his grace.
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