COLLECT: “GRANT, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT BY SAINT JOSEPH’S INTERCESSION YOUR CHURCH MAY CONSTANTLY WATCH OVER, THE UNFOLDING OF THE MYSTERIES OF HUMAN SALVATION, WHOSE BEGINNINGS YOU ENTRUSTED TO HIS FAITHFUL CARE. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
2Sam 7:4-5a,12-14a,16; Ps 88:2-5,27,29; Rom 4:13,16-18,22; Mt 1:16,18-21,24a or Lk 2:41-51a
We could say a lot of things about the person (Joseph, the ‘Husband of Mary’) we celebrate today, but for want of time, we are not able to do that. However:
1. About his personality, Joseph was from David’s descent. Therefore, he was the link between David and Jesus. Through obedience to God, Joseph legally became the Foster Father of Jesus. Jesus was born into his family. He named the child Jesus and he became the guardian of Jesus. He protected both the child Jesus and his mother Mary. He worked hard as a carpenter to fend for the child Jesus and Mary. He was a man of little or no words, but a person of prompt action in line with God’s will.
2. About his religious life, Joseph was deeply religious. He faithfully obeyed God’s will as well as all that was required in the Law of Moses. He was a very honest, pious, faithful, good and just man. In short, he was a God-fearing person. He never hesitated to do what was right to safeguard or preserve human life and human dignity. He made every decision in the spirit of piety and reverence.
Joseph is a model for all husbands or men in general. He had wonderful qualities as a husband (man) and if husbands could emulate these qualities, their families could be ‘heavens’ or better places to live in. Joseph exhibited qualities such as understanding, tolerance, forgiveness, loyalty, trust, faithfulness, hard work and fear of God. These, together with other qualities make our families holy families.
Let us pray for married couples, especially husbands that St. Joseph, the husband and Foster Father of Jesus may intercede for them. We pray especially for wayward husbands/fathers as well as husbands/fathers who have little or no understanding, those who cannot tolerate and forgive. We also pray for husbands/fathers who are not loyal and faithful to God and to their wives, those who are lazy and those who suspect and cannot trust their wives simply because they themselves cannot equally be trusted, that the fear of God may come into them to transform them, so that their families can be peaceful places to live in. We pray for families where there is domestic violence, and family members as well as innocent people are negatively affected. May God touch the hearts of every member in such families to let go of the devilish attitudes that are causing the violence in the family. Happy Feast day, stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “DEFEND WITH UNFAILING PROTECTION, O LORD, WE PRAY, THE FAMILY YOU HAVE NOURISHED WITH FOOD FROM THIS ALTAR, AS THEY REJOICE IN THE SOLEMNITY OF SAINT JOSPEH, AND GRACIOUSLY KEEP SAFE YOUR GIFTS AMONG THEM. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com
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