Created in the image and likeness of God will others look upon us as men and women of integrity? Will they see and experience His saving justice in us? Following after our Master who is with us, how many souls will we lead out of captivity this Christmas? So that they too can experience ‘Emmanuel’!
In today’s Gospel what struck me as it never has before is the honour, all embracing love and selflessness of parents who raise children in foster care. They keep them safe in a stable and nurturing home. Just like St Joseph did, hearing His call through a dream in which the Lord spoke. How many saints who do not see themselves as such have taken their roles as fathers and mothers to such children?
Lord Jesus today in anticipation of Christmas we raise up our prayers for the foster parents and the children entrusted to their care. Lord Jesus make Your presence known to them always. St Joseph pray with us for them. Amen
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First reading
Jeremiah 23:5-8 ·
I will raise a virtuous Branch for David
See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –
when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,
who will reign as true king and be wise,
practising honesty and integrity in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel dwell in confidence.
And this is the name he will be called:
The-Lord-our-integrity.
So, then, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when people will no longer say, “As the Lord lives who brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt!” but, “As the Lord lives who led back and brought home the descendants of the House of Israel out of the land of the North and from all the countries to which he had dispersed them, to live on their own soil.”
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Gospel
Matthew 1:18-24
How Jesus Christ came to be born
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
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