Gospel: Matthew
1:18-24
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. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to
expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 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 into your home. For
it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She
will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people
from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said
through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When
Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife
into his home.
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Reflection:
Why can’t husbands
be faithful to their wives? I can only surmise that it’s the lack of sufficient
moral and spiritual groundings. I think it’s also the husband’s intentional
forgetfulness of their Marriage vows which states: “To have and to hold, for
richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part.”
In contrast to the
philandering husbands of today is Joseph the faithful, righteous and obedient
husband of Mary. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant before they lived
together he decided to divorce her quietly so that she would not be exposed to
shame, humiliation and severe punishment.
It was Joseph’s intention to divorce Mary but
the angel of the Lord intervened in a dream and said: "Joseph, son of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary into your home. For it is through the Holy
Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” When Joseph awoke, he did as
the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife into his home.
In the Sacrament of
Matrimony the husband is also being told by God thru the Marriage vows, thru the Sacramental blessing
of the Priest which officiates through the person of Jesus and thru his wedding
ring that he must be faithful to his wife not only for a month, not only for a
year but for the rest of his life!
In the gospel we see
Joseph’s humble submission to the will of God. He obediently followed what God said thru an angel; he therefore brought Mary to his home and took care of
her for the rest of his life. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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