Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David....
T he prophecy in today's first reading from Jeremiah finds it fulfillment in the first line of today's reading from the Gospel of Matthew. The long-awaited day begins as Mary is found with child through the Holy Spirit. Although Mary is expecting because the long expected day has come, it comes as quite a shock to Joseph.
But his devout love of God and his practice of Justice has prepared him for this; and the same Spirit finds him willing to listen to his dreams. His intuition about her is right; although pregnant she cannot be guilty of infidelity to him or to their God.
If we learn anything from our faith, it must be to expect the unexpected. When a situation seems hopeless to every reasonable person, we still have hope. We must often wait in the darkness of not knowing -- the mystics call it "A Cloud of Unknowing." We believe the Lord is with us in, and is guiding us through, the darkness. There is nothing wrong with being uncertain so long as our faith in God is certain.
Joseph heard the word of God and kept it. That is, "he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." Saint Theresa of Calcutta reminded the world that we are not called to be successful, but to be faithful.
The military has an interesting expression for that, "need to know." I suppose there are many instances when a soldier or sailor must act on a command without his knowing its precise purpose. Perhaps it has no precise explanation; perhaps the commanding officer is operating on his own experience and intuition and knows this is precisely the right moment for this right action. And there is no time for a carefully thought-out explanation, much less discussion, doubts, or disagreement. This is the moment and the command is Now.
Joseph could explain neither his dilemma nor his dream to a skeptic, but he knew he was acting rightly. He sets the example for every Christian who must hear the Word of God and act on it.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.