2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16, 18-22, Psalm 89:2-5, 17-20, 23-24, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF THE BL. VIRGIN MARY

2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16, 18-22,
Psalm 89:2-5, 17-20, 23-24, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24


2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16

My Beloved, God intended to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth He first revealed His plan to the prophet Nathan who in turn revealed it to David saying that it was not him but his son who would make the reign of God secure. He would build a home where God would dwell among His people as Emmanuel. He would establish His Kingship and rule. Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem and God’s Presence filled the Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies and remained there until He sent You into the world to be born from the line of David to establish the Kingdom of Heaven, to for a people for Himself through You washed in the Blood of the Lamb and becoming members of Your own Body. Your reign would be established when your took upon yourself the iniquity of our humanity and absorbed them in Yourself taking upon your =self the punishment that was to be ours and rendering us guiltless before the Father thus making us truly God’s children through You His beloved Son.

To establish His plan He chose Mary, a young Virgin to be espoused to the Holy Spirit and conceive You and St. Joseph was chosen by God to become Your foster father and Mary’s husband and protector. The little home in Nazareth was the place where the Kingdom of Heaven came down to earth as God make His home among men and established His rule over men forever.

Romans 4:13, 16, 18-22

My Beloved, we know now beyond any doubt that we are saved not by keeping the law or by performing good works exemplary though they may be rather we are saved by You. When we are obedient to You, when we yield our will to that of God, when we are prepared to do all that God asks of us even though we may not always understand, or it seems to hard or difficult but we do it anyway because we know God desires it, then like Abraham our father in faith, who although he was a 100 years old and his wife long, long past her child bearing years believe God completely when God promised that he would have descendants as many as the stars . God always honors our faith and gives us far more than we could ever have dreamed of. . Faith in God paves the way for grace and grace provides divine assistance to do all things for the sake of Him who first loved us. .. The key here is that Abraham did not doubt that from his old decrepit body and Sarah’s shriveled, womb that during her youth remained fruitless would at the Word of God conceive and bear a son and through him God’s plan would be set in motion and millenniums later the Son of God would be born of a Virgin and that a son of David, Joseph would be chosen to be the foster father and legal guardian of His Son and the husband of His fair daughter Mary the true spouse of the Holy Spirit. Abraham believed when through human reasoning it was folly to do so and this is why he attained righteousness before God. And of St. Joseph too it would be said, that he was righteous. Blessed St. Joseph foster father of Jesus and husband of the Virgin Mother pray for us now and assist us at the hour of our death. Amen.

Psalm 89:2-5, 17-20, 23-24

My Beloved, Abraham attained righteousness before God because of his faith. Of St. Joseph we know nothing when his name is mentioned in Scripture it is only in context with Mary who was betrothed to him and they were to be married and it was found that she was with Child and he wanted to divorce her quietly because he was a righteous man. This quality of Joseph is recorded in Scripture. He was chosen by God because God considered him righteous. He was to be the legal father and guardian of the Son of God who was to wear the crown and bear the scepter who would be anointed with holy oil but before You wore crowned as King of heaven and earth You had to first wear a crown of thorns, before the gold scepter establishing Your rule and Your Kingship, a reed would be place in Your to mock You and Your body would be flayed into bloody purple ribbons before You were robed in the garments of the Ruler of all that is seen and unseen. The enemy is crushed, the powers of evil have been vanquished and evil and death have been overcome with Light, Life and Truth that will never be put out.

Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

My Beloved, the only references to St. Joseph recorded in the Bible are a few short verses but they speak volumes about the character of the man chosen by God. We know that he comes from the line of David the king and Scripture has revealed that the Messiah would belong to the house of David. We know that Joseph was the husband of Mary and from her would come Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. Then we are told that Mary Your Mother was given in marriage to Joseph, they were betrothed but was still in her own home when Mary was found to be pregnant and from the very first moment that her pregnancy is revealed it is immediately make known that the Baby was conceived through the Holy Spirit.

There can be no doubt about the purity and the virginity of Mary who herself was immaculately conceived. Joseph did not doubt Mary's faithfulness but he would have sensed that there was something divinely mysterious about the baby she had conceived. He would have known the prophecy made by Isaiah, "The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God with us." He would have been in awe of her and would have deemed it best that he set her aside discreetly so no harm would come to her or the child she bore.

God had to send an angel to assure him that indeed the prophecy was fulfilled in his betrothed and he Joseph, a simple carpenter, was chosen by God to be the husband, guardian, protector, and father to the Son of God and the spouse of the Holy Spirit. Joseph being the man he was woke up and acted on God's word and took Mary his wife to his home.