HOMILY FOR MONDAY 3RD WEEK IN ADVENT – YEAR B

HOMILY FOR MONDAY 3RD WEEK IN ADVENT – YEAR B

THEME: JOSEPH: THE OBEDIENT FATHER

BY: FR. KARABARI PAUL

‘You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’
Matthew 1:21

When we look at Joseph, we might think how wonderful he must have felt to be chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus. It was a huge honour. He may well have thought that himself, but when he first found out, his mind would have been full of a lot of other thoughts. His reaction to finding out that Mary was pregnant was to try and get himself out of the engagement. The Bible tells us that ‘Joseph her husband being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly’ (Matthew 1:19).

ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY: MONDAY 2ND WEEK IN ADVENT [YEAR B]

From this we can see that Joseph was a fair and caring man. He didn’t want Mary to be shamed in the community. But God had other plans and told him, through a dream, to stay with Mary and raise Jesus as his own. Most men lack that patience. They may even ask the Holy Spirit to accept her as wife since He is responsible for her conception. Definitely, she won’t be spared of publicity at least within the family. Remarkably, this wasn’t the only time God spoke to Joseph through a dream. He also told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to keep them safe from Herod, and told him when it was the right time to head back to Nazareth (take a look at Matthew 2:23-14; 20-21).

Each time God spoke to him, Joseph was obedient. He followed God’s call on his life, even though it went against the norms of society. Having a father who listens to God is an incredible thing, but we are not all in that position. Sometimes our fathers make decisions that don’t seem to be very godly at all. But whatever our experience, we have a perfect Father in God, who knows everything about us, knows how to look after us, and has the best in store for us. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God grant all parents the gift of patience. God bless you and your household always through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning!

FOR SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>