Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man,
and in no way did he want to disgrace her.
While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived
by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him ‘Jesus’ for he will save his
people from their sins.”
All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will
conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us. When
Joseph awoke, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do, and he took his wife to
his home.
“She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son.”
Read:
Isaiah prophesies about the virgin giving birth to Immanuel, God-with-us. In his very opening
words to the Church in Rome, Paul affirms Christ as the fulfilment of all prophesies. The angel
conveys the good news to Joseph, who acts accordingly.
Reflect:
Joseph and Mary have a lot in common and are definitely made for each other. This is especially
so in their approach to the Mysteries of God. We find Mary treasuring all experiences in her heart
and pondering over them (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). Joseph does the same: having found Mary pregnant,
a mystery he cannot fathom, he ponders over it in his heart. Both Mary and Joseph do the same
pondering when Simeon, holding the Promise-in-flesh in his hands, utters prophetic words about
the baby (cf. Lk 2: 33). It is evident that they do not comprehend everything that is happening in
their lives and around the baby (cf. Lk 2:50); but they savor every experience, opening themselves
up to the mystery and trusting God to lead them along. And lead, God did.
Pray:
“Lord, give me the grace to treasure your Mysteries and ponder over them.”
Act:
Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary today, pondering over every mystery and what it means
to you.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022