"Family is Important"(December 18, 2022.)

Gospel

Mt 1:18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,

but before they lived together,

she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,

yet unwilling to expose her to shame,

decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

"Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

For it is through the Holy Spirit

that this child has been conceived in her.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means "God is with us."

When Joseph awoke,

he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took his wife into his home.

Reflection:

A blessed Sunday to all of us! Today is the last Sunday of Advent, and next Sunday, December 25, is the beginning of the Christmas season. The beauty of our Gospel for today lies in seeing how God chose to become human by having a family like us. He chose Joseph and Mary to be parents even though He did not really come from Joseph in the flesh. Because we focus on Jesus, the Messiah, during this season, we don't pay much attention to His earthly father, Joseph. However, it is important that we do.

Saint Joseph was obedient to God. He had no doubts if it was God's will. God's plan to become a Man is incomprehensible, maybe he did not think he was worthy of it. But God commissioned him through an angel, and he wholeheartedly obeyed to continue marrying Mary. This is how we are with God's plans for us. Maybe, we see many obstacles that need to be overcome, but if that is God's plan, it will happen. He will take care of everything if we let Him. Before that, we need to learn to trust Him. Our mother Mary is like this too. She did not know how it would be that she would have a child as a virgin, but in her question, she merely inquired about how it would happen. The angel of the Lord answered that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her, and she would conceive the Child by the power of God. Nothing is impossible with God. God has His ways, and everything will happen according to His plan.

This season, we will have many gatherings or parties. It’s time again to meet our families and relatives. An important concern for all in the midst of conflicts, resentment, and misunderstandings, is God’s design of the family as the foundation of our lives. God invites us to forgive and be patient. A sign of this is if we are at peace and have no negative desires or thoughts towards others, even when we have experienced pain through them. If there is any disagreement and conflict, we know that it is from the devil who wants to destroy God's plan. We cannot live without family. It is beautiful, and it is to continue life on earth. Understanding through God's wisdom, patience, genuine conversation, and forgiveness will overcome all weakness and hurt. This way, we will truly have peace and unity in the family as what happened to the Holy Family. They obeyed God's will despite the many obstacles. In the end, because of the presence of Christ, they were the first to experience the silent night. They became the home of the Messiah in this world and the way for the salvation of all. Our families too have an important mission. May we discover it and take care of it. May we make God the center of our lives, homes, and families so that all of us will be truly glad, good, and at peace in Christ. Amen. +

Let's ponder on it. Amen. +

May the Loving and Almighty God bless us all, and may He protect us from temptation and evil now and forever. Amen. +

Reflections by FMMJ

Translations to English by CJT

Full readings:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121822.cfm