Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Fidelity of Joseph

"Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly." Mt 1:19

All of us have been hurt by others and been tempted to respond in kind. Angry and confused, in the name of justice, we strike back, and although our actions and words rarely do any good, we sometimes feel a little better about standing up for ourselves. No doubt hurt and confused, Joseph had determined to divorce Mary quietly. Not wanting to shame Mary but convinced that his proposed marriage to her could not happen, Joseph learns in a dream that God has other plans, and he listens.

Listening is a radically important aspect of faith, especially when we are troubled. Cluttered with all kinds of thoughts, we might be tempted to react in order to free ourselves from feeling awful, but Joseph reminds us that this is a mistake. Only patient listening to God no matter how loud the "crowd" might be will allow us to discern how God wants us to go forward.  Advent is a time to follow Joseph's example. Not rushing into action but waiting upon Go for direction will surely help us live the Gospel more fully.

Today, wait before making a difficult decision.

Who or what helps you to faithful to God on a daily basis?


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