The Lord will give him the throne of his ancestor David
The word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
Responsorial Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29
His dynasty shall last for ever.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
His dynasty shall last for ever.
‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.
His dynasty shall last for ever.
‘He will say to me: “You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.”
I will keep my love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.’
His dynasty shall last for ever.
Second reading Romans 4:13,16-18,22
Abraham hoped, and he believed
The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.
Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. This is the faith that was ‘considered as justifying him.’
Gospel Matthew 1:16,18-21,24
How Jesus Christ came to be born
Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do.
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Faith over fear
“Joseph, do not be afraid…” As with any other person, Joseph felt fear and uncertainty in the face of the unexpected turn of events. Yet, he did not let fear conquer the will to love. As the gospel tells us, he did not want to expose Mary to any unnecessary public shame. Moreover, his fear did not overshadow his faith in God. Joseph continued to be open to God’s speaking freely in the silence of his heart.
In our silent prayer time, are we able, like Joseph, to give God space to speak to us? Can we hear Him calming our fears? Are we open to listening and seeing God’s perspective of the situations we live in? God invites Joseph to take a leap of faith and trust Him. Through Joseph’s act of faith, God came to be with His people in Jesus. As we celebrate today’s feast, let us be inspired by the example of St. Joseph’s life of faith. We pray that, through our lives, God’s presence can be palpable in the world.
Reflective question:
Does my fear conquer or overshadow my will to love and my faith in God?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
