FIRST WEEK OF LENT .......... SATURDAY

RANDOM REFLECTIONS

FIRST WEEK OF LENT ........ SATURDAY  ( MARCH 19TH )  FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH

MATHEW 1:16, 18-21, 24

 The Bible does not record a single word spoken by St. Joseph. He is shown as a man who silently obeyed God in all the difficult and embarrassing circumstances of his life. These difficult and embarrassing circumstances were allowed by God himself. Job murmured but St. Joseph did not murmur. When he must have learnt from Mother Mary about the archangel Gabriel's visit and her pregnancy by the Holy Spirit, Joseph respected her but preferred to obey the Mosaic Law in proceeding to divorce Mary in an informal way without putting her to public shame. He continued to love Mary his wife and his God. When the angel appearing in his dream told him the truth of the matter, he did not question the angel why God did not take prior permission from him by sending the archangel Gabriel as he did with Mary. He simply believed and obeyed the Angel, took Mary into his home, named the child Jesus and was prepared to appear to the world as the child's father.He strongly believed that the child was the Christ, the Saviour of the world. This belief was not shaken when he had to frantically search for a lodging in Bethlehem or when he was directed to flee to Egypt in the middle of the night or when he became 'much worried' when Jesus was lost in the Temple for three days and nights. St.Joseph had no ego problems. He was a tremendous man of faith and good-will. It is not recorded in the Bible that Joseph was a witness to the miracles, message and resurrection of Jesus, yet he believed the child Jesus.There is no parallel for him in the entire Bible, uniquely positioned by God to be the foster father of God's only begotten son Jesus Christ.

Let us ask God to bless us with the gift of humility, love and faith found in St. Joseph the patron of the Church. Let us pray for St. Joseph's intercession on our behalf during this Lenten season.

God Bless.