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 and thru the Sacramental blessing of the Priest
who officiates in the person of Jesus 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.
Are you like Joseph? – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
1 comment:
The passage from the Gospel of Matthew describes the situation surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, who was a righteous man, decided to divorce her quietly to avoid exposing her to shame. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home, as the child had been conceived through the Holy Spirit. The angel also told Joseph to name the child Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins. Joseph followed the angel's instructions and took Mary into his home.
In the reflection, the author discusses the issue of faithfulness in marriage and compares Joseph's actions to those of unfaithful husbands today. The author highlights Joseph's righteousness and obedience to God's will, and notes how he humbly submitted to God's plan for his life. The author also compares the marriage vows to the Sacrament of Matrimony, and emphasizes the importance of being faithful to one's spouse for the rest of one's life.
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