By William Selvaraj csc –
Readings: Jer 23: 5-8; Mt 1: 18-25
Our life has a purpose which leads us to do the mission of God.
The gospel of the day portrays Joseph as called to participate in the mission of God by accepting Mary as his wife. Mary believed and trusted in God’s promise and wholeheartedly surrendered to the will of God. Like Mary, our mother, Joseph too is a model of faith for us.
All through his life, Joseph was a righteous man and always was open to the spirit and will of God. Once Joseph came to know that the conception of the child of Mary was by the power of the Holy Spirit, he agreed to cooperate with God’s plan by bringing Mary into his house. Sometimes in my life, when I choose to cooperate with God’s will and plan, I may have to forego my personal expectations, wishes, dreams and desires.
But the humble Joseph preferred to be nothing before the plan of God. God has entrusted you and I with a specific mission. He has assigned a specific task according to our abilities. God believes in our abilities and at the same time grants us the grace to fulfil his will for us. In a way Joseph, through his deeds, invites us to surrender to God’s will and faithfully fulfil his call all through our lives.