Reading 1
Jer 23:5-8
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”
Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.
Gospel
Mt 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.
Meditation: Matthew 1:18-25
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. (Matthew 1:24)
When we first meet Joseph, we see him as an upright and devout man who is all set to marry a young woman named Mary. But when he learned that Mary was pregnant—by some miracle, she claimed—he reckoned that the godly thing to do was to divorce her quietly. It was an example of thoughtful, compassionate reasoning, and Joseph should be commended for it—except for that angelic visitation he had. No, the angel said, God wanted him to take Mary after all. But because her child did indeed come from God, their union would have to be different from all his previous dreams and expectations.
In Joseph we see a model of humility and openness to God. Like Abraham when asked to sacrifice Isaac, Joseph was willing to follow a new path, even if it didn’t completely make sense. When faced with a radical change in his plans for his life, he took his confusion and distress to God, and he wasn’t disappointed. God spoke to him in a dream and gave him the peace he needed to embark on this new adventure.
Joseph’s story tells us that we should guard against being too attached to our plans. Sometimes, even good and noble goals, such as marriage, a chosen career, or community service may have to be put aside if God moves us in a different direction. Of course, we should always “test everything” and “retain what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). A trusted spiritual advisor, a confessor, or a close friend are indispensable in this process. But in the end, it always comes down to our own humility and openness to God’s infinite possibilities.
Whatever plans the Lord may have for us, it’s comforting to know that God is always on our side. If we seek him, he will reveal himself to us. And as we seek his plans, he will make them clear as well. We just need to stay focused on the main goal for our lives: to grow closer to the Lord and become more and more like him.
“Holy Spirit, nothing can compare with your wonderful plan for me. Help me to remain open to you so that I can see more of your will for my life.”
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