Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to
be still before God.
Opening Prayer: Yes, Father!
Yes! And always Yes!
~Francis
de Sales
Scripture Reading for the Day: Matthew 1:18-24
Reading for Reflection:
I wonder how long you
made Joseph wait in that agonizing tension before you told him your plan.
And what was it you were trying to accomplish within him in the midst of his
struggling and wrestling? Were you trying to teach him to pray?
Were you building his character? Were you testing his faith? Were
you trying to see if he would say yes to you regardless of the
circumstances or situation? Were you
increasing his groaning, because you knew it would make the soil of his soul fertile
and receptive to your coming? Was the time of struggle designed to
increase the depths of his gratitude once you finally told him the truth?
Was it to test his love for Mary, the mother of your Son? Was it to test
his love for you? What was that awful, struggle-filled waiting meant
to do in him? And what is it meant to do in me? How am I
like Joseph, looking at a seemingly no-win situation and having to trust you to
somehow show up in the middle of it? And trusting you to help me begin to
make sense of it all? Where am I desperately waiting for you to
arrive? Come, Lord Jesus!
Reflection and Listening: silent and written
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
Closing Prayer: Lord God, help us to trust you even in the
midst of our waiting and uncertainty.
That through it all we may remain certain of one thing—you! Amen.
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