Daily Bible Reflections
for March 19, 2009;

Dear Friend,

Follow Him all the way this Thursday.

Praying for you,

Bo Sanchez

19
 March
Thursday
TODAY'S READINGS:

DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH
DIDACHE

 

Solemnity of Joseph Husband of Mary
 
FaITH vS TRUST
 
He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife into his home. – Matthew 1:24
 
In times of confusion and desperation, we cry out, like Joseph must have cried out, “Lord, how can this be? Why is this happening to me?” We start to question. We entertain doubts. We lose trust.
Life is full of challenges in all shapes and sizes, which are often a test of our faith. A Christian may pass the test of faith but it takes a true believer of God to pass the trust test.
Faith is believing that God can make things happen. Trust is believing that God will make things happen as He promised. Desiring God’s will is an act of faith and trusting God is actually doing His will in total surrender. We often say we want to do God’s will. But are we as brave as Joseph to put our complete trust in God and obey His commands no matter what? Jane Gonzales
 
REFLECTION:
It takes a man of intimate personal relationship with God to trust Him with his whole life. Does our relationship with Him reflect that we trust Him enough?
 
Lord, help my doubtful heart to trust in You. Amen.
 
 

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COMPANION

 

1st READING
 
The Lord assures David that his sovereignty is sure. In other words, God is telling David that His throne will last forever. Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, and, considering that we are His brothers and sisters, we are also a fulfillment of this prophecy. The life of grace that we all live is the fulfillment of the promises that God continually gave to His People throughout history.
 
2 Samuel 7:4-5a. 12-14a. 16
4 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, 12 ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
 
P S A L M
 
Psalm 89:2-3. 4-5. 27 and 29
R: The son of David will live forever.
1 [2] The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. 2 [3] For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. (R) 3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 [5] ‘Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.’” (R) 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my savior.’ 28 [29] Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm.” (R)
 
2nd READING
 
Faith is the basis of our lives in Christ. We cannot do anything to earn or deserve salvation. Faith is a mysterious reality that somehow manages to draw us into the ambit of God’s grace. By grace we surrender to God’s grace. Faith is difficult to quantify in empirical terms thus indicating to us that there is an element of trust in it. Let us place our trust in the Lord as we listen to the witnesses of the lives of a long line of holy men and women of faith who encourage us to do this.
 
Romans 4:13. 16-18. 22
13 Brothers and sisters: 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.”
 
G O S P E L
 
So much of Joseph’s life must have been just as much a mystery to him as it is to us. He is truly a man of faith. He takes care of Jesus and Mary even though by law he has no obligation to them. He is a model of generosity in the way he gave his life to serve others. Joseph stands for us as an outstanding example of faith and trust in God even when it was impossible to understand His will. Let us draw from the example
of his life when we are called to serve our neighbor.
 
Matthew 1:16. 18-21. 24a (or Luke 2:41-51a)
16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 18 Now 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. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, 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.
 
my reflections
think:The life of grace that we all live is the fulfillment of the promises that God continually gave to His People throughout history.
_________________________________________________________

God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________

T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
 
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Revelations 11-14
 
 
 

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SABBATH

 

The generouS giVer
 
In today’s Gospel, we read about the infancy narrative of Jesus, the plan of Joseph to divorce Mary silently so as to spare her from humiliation and death, and the acceptance of Joseph of the divine Will of God. In the acceptance of Joseph as his son, the prophecy of old was fulfilled. Jesus became part of the house of David. Jesus is the son of David.
In the Gospel, the Virgin Mary was betrothed to Joseph. She was to marry Joseph, who belonged to the house of David. But when Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant before they came together, he decided to silently divorce her. During those times, when a woman gets pregnant and has no known father, it was a great humiliation to her and her family and she may be stoned to death. She might be accused of infidelity which, during those times, was considered adultery and punishable by death.
Joseph wanted to spare her from humiliation and death so he decided to divorce her. While he was in this thought, the angel appeared to him in a dream and told him that he need not be afraid to take Mary as his wife for she was carrying in her womb the Son of God, the Savior of the world, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He did as the angel told him and accepted Mary and her son, Jesus the Savior. Joseph was described by the evangelist as a just man. Joseph is just not only because he spared Mary from humiliation and death but most especially because he followed the will of God. He accepted his vocation as the foster father of the Son of God and he did it with his whole heart. He gave away his very self to the will of the Father. He was a humble servant of God, a man of great faith and a very righteous man. Even when he knew about the situation of Mary, he did not will her misery but, on the contrary, how he could help her to avoid humiliation and death. Fr. Joel O. Jason
 
Reflection Question:
By Jewish law, it was Joseph’s “right” to have Mary persecuted because she broke the law. Joseph did not claim that right. Christianity is not just a matter of claiming what is my right. It is more importantly claiming what is right. Joseph did claim his right — He did what is right.
 
Holy and Almighty Father, teach us how to give and to give without asking something in return. Teach us to have that strong faith and obedience to Your will even when we don’t understand everything. Amen.
 
St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, pray for us.
 

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