Ruler of the House of Israel,
who gave the law to Moses on Sinai,
come and save us with outstretched arm.
come and save us with outstretched arm.
JEREMIAH 23:5-8
PSALM 72:1-2,12-13,18-19
My Soul's Beloved,
Centuries before You were born the prophecy of Jeremiah foretold that You would come from the house of David, one of the most revered figures in the Old Testament who ruled over a united Israel. You, however, are a King like no other, wise, honest, kind, compassionate, trustworthy. Your reign is everlasting and You will come to save not just the chosen people of God but the whole world.
You came to lead a world in exile from the Kingdom of God back to Him, to break the chains of slavery to sin. You bring all nations under Your rule and true freedom and joy to the children of Adam, giving them a Name that saves.
PSALM 72:1-2,12-13,18-19
My Soul's Beloved,
The most barbaric laws that were practiced over millennia were slowly but surely abolished because God's wisdom was revealed through the mouths of patriarchs and prophets. God spoke to His chosen people and hence they were unlike any other nation. The Law, given to them by Moses, guided them in conducting human affairs with dignity and respect within their own community as well as with outsiders. But this was only a foreshadow of what God would accomplish when He sent You, His only Son, into the world.
You came to abolish slavery to our senses, our desires, our past, our failures, our fears, our weaknesses, our regrets, our vices, our cowardice, that hold us hostage. You came to bring true justice, peace, and liberation to a fallen world.
Today, the world knows You, and all who know You are charged with the urgent mission to make You known. It is only when You are made known that the poor, the needy, the helpless, the weak will finally have hope. You came for those who have no one and in You, the most wretched and abandoned find love, comfort, healing, help, and hope.
We who know You, love You, believe in You, have faith in You, are saved by You are charged with the inescapable obligation to share what we have received freely and at no cost so all may come to the knowledge of Truth and be saved. Only then will the whole world will bless You as our Lord and our God whose glory fills heaven and earth.
MATTHEW 1:18-24
My Soul's Beloved,
How thrilling it is to contemplate in these last days before Christmas, how You came to be born. Caught up as we are, even in the midst of the pandemic, with all the external trappings of this joyous season, this year, more than ever before, we have an opportunity to pause and turn our gaze quietly and reverently to all that occurred at that time in salvation history, when all God's covenantal promises find their fulfillment in You.
It is a story that has been told over and over again for over 2000 years and it never gets old or stale for it is ever-new and filled with divine mystery because it is the culmination of all human longing. As we gaze at Your Virgin Mother betrothed to Joseph, a man of God, the tangible human drama is palpable.
We feel their anguish. Mary is speechless at her divine predicament and the mysterious wonder conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit. Joseph is perplexed. He knows Mary. She radiates goodness and virtue and he is certain she is innocent. Loving her as he does, he resolves to put her away quietly so she will not suffer pain or humiliation.
In a few words, the evangelist gives us a picture of the man Joseph - he was a just man, a man of honor, a man of faith who kept the law of God. A quiet man - he says nothing. A strong man - who takes action. A brave man who is unafraid to do what he believes is right despite what it will cost him, his betrothed whom he loves deeply.
An angel appearing to him in a dream reveals the wondrous mystery of grace that binds Mary to God. Addressing him as Joseph son of David, another prophecy revealing that the Messiah will come from the line of David, is fulfilled. He is told not to be afraid to take his virgin bride home as his wife because she has conceived a Son by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the angel says, 'You must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’
When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
May we like St. Joseph be attentive to God's word and hasten to do His will no matter how challenging we find it.
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