My Sunday Daily Blessings
Be still, quiet your heart and mind, the Lord is here, loving you, talking to you.....................................................................................
Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Catholic Observance)
First Reading: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14
Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard. Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.
My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins —a house raised in justice to you.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
"Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways."
Second Reading: Col 3:12-21
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.
Gospel: Mt 2:13-15
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.
*Meditation:
We live in the generation of the travel bug with sudden onset of the wonderlust. We crave the ability to move, and this craving goes beyond physical destinations. We desire change and movement through times of transition, such as advent.
With the Advent (no pun intended) of social media, we are now living our lives at the push of a button. Information and entertainment are merely a click away.
Speed and ease are redeeming qualities in our society, oftentimes the keys to success. Yet, the phrase that strikes us in today's readings show us the contrary.
In the first dream, God tells Joseph to "Stay there until I tell you."
As young Adults, we forgot the importance of patience. While we must be
proactive in our pursuits, we must also remember to take time; to allow God to call us when the time is right. Advent is the time of preparation. We must be still and be patient in this moment of preparation, not becoming too hasty for the coming before all is ready.
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King are two of the greatest men of our time. They changed the world with their words and gave quotes that have captured a generation. These sound bites still resonate with us today. Their speeches are studied at almost every level of academia.
Just as Lincoln and Dr. King were men of action. Joseph is arguably the first man of action in the New Testament. Yet in his many appearances throughout the Gospels, Joseph never speaks. You never see him engage in discourse with the Lord. He simply obeys and acts.
We are called to act, just as Joseph. However, our call to action is to prepare and make ourselves ready. This is not just to stay put and cultivate the individual. This is a call to create community, to criticize the system that is not within the original plan of God, and to elicit the necessary changes. Yes, words can change a world, but Saint Ignatius tells us, "Love is shown more in deeds than in words," and our ultimate call of preparation is to live out love.
**Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, you came to save us from sin and the power of death. May I always rejoice in your salvation and trust in your plan for my life". Amen.
Sources:
"LORD JESUS, I place all my trust and hope in you. Come and stay with me and take possession of my heart and soul that I may fully desire what is pleasing to you. Fill my heart with love, your grace and mercy for others that I may witness to the truth and joy of the gospel through word and example, both to those who accept it and to those who oppose it."
-tpana
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