DATE : 19/3/2021
EVENT : Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent/Solemnity of St. Joseph, The Husband of Mary
COLOUR: White
READINGS : 2Sam 7:4-5,12-14,16; Resp. Psalm 88:2-5,27,29; Romans 4:13,16-18,22; Matthew 1:16,18-21,24 .
THEME: GOD CANNOT COMMAND THE IMPOSSIBLE
Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Nineteenth day of March, which the Church celebrates the the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " God Cannot Command The Impossible". Beloved in Christ, today, we celebrate a very rare but prominent personality in the history of salvation, St. Joseph, the rightful husband of Blessed Virgin Mary, and the foster father or earthly guardian of Jesus. Now, from the Scriptural basis, nothing is really known about St. Joseph, except that he was a local carpenter, who was bethrothed to Mary, and ready to live a normal Jewish peasant life, before God altered his plans. Even though Joseph played a prominent role in the history of our salvation, no word of his is recorded in the Bible. Thus, like a dumb ox, he followed and obeyed the will of God to the latter, though he was not sure of how things will work out. He trusted completely on the divine will and on the divine protection of God. More so, from the human character of his son, we can see that he was a good and responsible father. Although he is not officially a patron saint of anything in particular (though he is a patron of the Church as a whole), he is widely venerated as a patron of artisans who honourably do good work with the gifts God has given them, and of workers in general (Cf. Universalis).
Dearest in Christ, from the Gospel reading of today, Matt.1,16,18-21,24, we heard how the birth of Jesus came to be. Although, from the two preceding readings, 2Sam. 7:4-5,12-14,16 and Rom. 4:13,16-18,22, we get the impression that God had always had a plan to bring about the birth of a great personality, who will reign supreme and whose dynasty shall last for ever. But, how this promise will come to be fulfilled, was not known to anyone. In fact, almost all the Jews had hoped that this great one of God, shall come from the royal family or one of the high class and respected families at the time. But no, God's ways are never the ways of man. So, when God chose poor Joseph, the husband of Mary, to care for his divine Son, he was not commanding the impossible or acting out of the ordinary. When God allowed Joseph to take Mary as a wife, with the intention that he will not know her as a woman, he was not commanding the impossible. When God told poor Joseph to care for his divine Son Jesus, He was not commanding the impossible. Beloved, one of the dogmas of the Church on Mary, is that of perpetual virginity. This means that she was a virgin till death, even as a married woman. Although, many believe it to be impossible, but the fact remains thst, Joseph and Mary lived together as man and wife, without intimate sexual relationship. Thus, even as a married lady, Mary never lost the gift of her virginity, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, she and Joseph, lived a perfect chaste life without defilement. This means that after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had no other biological children of their own.
Beloved in Christ, looking at the life of Joseph and the reality of his living with a beautiful lady like the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is his rightful wife, and following the sacrifices he had endured to prevent her from shame, it would appear impossible that Joseph could live with Mary without desiring her sexually. But, like Scriptures says, "with the eyes of man it is impossible, but with God it is never impossible, for with Him, all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). Thus, Joseph fulfilled his role as protector of Jesus and Mary, without any selfish interest. He trusted fully on God, he didn't think it an impossible task to execute, though, he was uncertain about how the entire episode will play out. So, my dearest friends, do not bother too much, about what tomorrow will bring, do not complain that your situation is beyond you, do not despair when the plan of your life seems to be altered, do not be confused, when you do not understand what seems to be going on or happening at the moment in your life. Just know that God, who is the master planner himself, has control of the situation, and He has everything sorted out. He does not command the impossible. If he has called you to a certain kind of life, He will enable you to survive it. All that you need to do is to follow God's lead like Joseph the Husband of Mary did, and never to complain. God bless you.
Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).
LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, give me the grace of St. Joseph to maintain my calm and trustfully follow your lead, even when I do not fully understand where it is leading to....
The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.
May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen
HAPPY WEEKEND BELOVED FRIENDS
@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪
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