SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - Gospel (Matthew 1:16:18-21. 24a)
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - 2 Sam 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
"He it is who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever."
A reading from the Second Book of Samuel
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the Lord: Is it you who would build me a house to dwell in? 12 when your days have been completed and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, sprung from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He it is[a] who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will reprove him with a human rod and with human punishments; 16 Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever.[a]
SECOND READING - Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
"He believed, hoping against hope."
A reading from the Letter to the Romans
13 It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. 16 For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. 18 He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be.” 22 That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a
"He did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him."
✠From the Gospel according to Matthew
16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. 18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,[a] but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,[b] yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord[c] 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. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,[d] because he will save his people from their sins.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - Gospel (Matthew 1:16:18-21. 24a)
Dear people of God
In today's Word of God, the Lord speaks to all humanity, calling us to look to the example of faith set by our forefather Abraham and St. Joseph, both of whom were chosen by God and placed within His plan of salvation.
It was through their belief in God's love and mercy that they obeyed Him absolutely, without the slightest hesitation, upon hearing His commands.
Forefather Abraham was chosen by God to collaborate in His work of salvation. God established him as a model of faith and righteousness.
Through the Old Testament and the letters of St. Paul, humanity knows that Abraham possessed the strongest faith among all people—a gift from God to humanity, for through him, humanity learn the lesson of faith.
Abraham always trusted, relied upon, and hoped in God in every circumstance and every event of his life. One could say he hoped even in the face of life's hopelessness.
Abraham believed completely in God's promise to grant him numerous descendants even when his wife was past childbearing age. He believed in God's promise to make him the father of many nations, even while he had only one son, whom God demanded he sacrifice.
God tested Abraham severely regarding his obedience to God’s holy will, requiring absolute obedience from him and all his descendants. Those who possess such absolute faith will overcome these trials, just as our forefather Abraham did, becoming the father of all who believe.
By the time Jesus was born into the world, there was St. Joseph, also a descendant of our forefather Abraham.
St. Joseph was a man of firm faith in God, believing in His love and providence.
As he walked according to God's plan, the Lord always presented St. Joseph with difficulties and trials of faith. St. Joseph was called a righteous man of God:
Because St. Joseph listened and obeyed, carrying out the holy will of God.
Furthermore, he was a man who lived purely and transparently, always possessing a selfless heart toward others.
This was specifically evident in the event of the Virgin Mary's pregnancy by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Not knowing what had happened to the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph sought to leave quietly to spare her from being stoned; such was the charity and selflessness of the righteous St. Joseph.
What is even more outstanding about St. Joseph, the righteous man, is that he listened to God's word and put it into practice: he took Mary into his home and nurtured Jesus.
St. Joseph collaborated with Mary and Jesus in God's work of salvation.
This was a great blessing that God bestowed upon St. Joseph and a significant privilege He granted to him. It was because of St. Joseph's obedience and his loyalty and faithfulness until his final breath that he fulfilled his responsibility as the foster father of Jesus, the Son of God who came down to earth as man.
To this day, God desires everyone throughout the world to know the glorious name of St. Joseph, so that anyone who comes to pray to him may receive his intercession. Especially in the Holy Land of God, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is titled the Mother of Healing for the whole world,
God has also appointed St. Joseph as the patron of all the sick and sinners throughout the world.
Anyone who comes to pray with absolute faith and trust in God, and who follows the example of St. Joseph's virtues—living purely, transparently, and in obedience, poverty, and absolute trust in God—will receive the grace of healing.
God also calls all humanity to look up to and live according to the example of St. Joseph, fulfilling the duties that God has entrusted to each person here on earth, so that they may be rewarded with the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Comments