|
|
- feast of St. Joseph
If you will here stop, and ask your self, why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor through inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.
- William Law (1686-1761), A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy
Life
(Ouch! But the Gospel does make it clear that a half-hearted response is not what Christ asks of us. How can you more fully seek to know, love and serve
God?) |
|
|
2 SM 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; PS 89:2-5, 27, 29; ROM 4:13, 16-18, 22; MT 1:16, 18-21, 24
R. The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness, For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.”
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.’ Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm.” USCCB Lectionary
|
|
|
Joseph was a worthy successor to the great patriarchs of the old covenant - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph followed the call of God through the mysterious circumstances that
surrounded the coming of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled all the promises made to Abraham and his offspring. God entrusted this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. He is a model for all who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young. Joseph is a faithful witness and servant of
God's unfolding plan of redemption.
Are you ready to put your trust in the Lord to give you his help and guidance in fulfilling your responsibilities? God gives strength and guidance to those who seek his help, especially when we face trials,
doubts, fears, perplexing circumstances, and what seems like insurmountable problems and challenges in our personal lives. God our heavenly Father has not left us alone, but has given us his only begotten Son Jesus as our savior, teacher, lord, and healer. Where do you need God's help and guidance? Ask the Lord to increase your faith and trust in his promises and in his guiding hand in your life.
"Lord Jesus, you came to free us from the power of sin, fear, and death, and to heal and restore us to wholeness of life. May I always trust in your saving help, guidance, wisdom, and plan for my life". DailyScripture.Net
|
|
|
The Cloud of Unknowing, by Anonymous A slight teaching of this work in purity of spirit; declaring how that on one manner a soul should shew his desire unto God, and on ye contrary unto man.
Thou
wottest well this, that God is a Spirit; and whoso should be oned unto Him, it behoveth to be in soothfastness and deepness of spirit, full far from any feigned bodily thing. Sooth it is that all thing is known of God, and nothing may be hid from His witting, neither bodily thing nor ghostly. But more openly is that thing known and shewed unto Him, the which is hid in deepness of spirit, sith it so is that He is a Spirit, than is anything that is mingled with any manner of bodilyness. For all
bodily thing is farther from God by the course of nature than any ghostly thing. By this reason it seemeth, that the whiles our desire is mingled with any matter of bodilyness, as it is when we stress and strain us in spirit and in body together, so long it is farther from God than it should be, an it were done more devoutly and more listily in soberness and in purity and in deepness of spirit. - Chapter 47 |
|
|
|
