December 18, 2016

Gospel: Mt 1:18-24
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 disgrace 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.”
All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us. When Joseph awoke, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do, and he took his wife to his home.

REFLECTION:
READ: Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
REFLECT: Joseph knew that Jesus had been conceived by the Holy Spirit, but he was so humble that he could not imagine himself playing a role in the history of salvation—until an angel enlightened him on that score.
PRAY: Let us earnestly ask God to make us as humble and as flexible as Joseph.
ACT: Today let us courageously listen to God’s call and embrace the responsibilities of our state of life.