I was really struck by today's Gospel in mass (Matthew 1 18:24). It reads thusly:
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded himand took his wife into his home.
What struck me is Joseph and his faith. Everyone else in the story of the nativity had a physical, tangible sign. The magi and the shepards had the star. Mary had the physical manifestation of the Lord inside of her. But Joseph got a dream and Mary's word. That's it. It had to take an incredible amount of faith to be on board with such a massive plan based on so very little.
It makes me ashamed to think of how I'm asked for so little in comparison, and how I still come up short.
I had thoughts during mass after that reading too. But mine was more on the path of mankind isn't ready for the visions/messages I think I've gotten while sleeping. It got so bad at one point I went and talked to a priest. Because I had never really talked about it to anyone and when you wake up out of something like this and you are sitting up in bed with your hands clasped and as you wake you hear yourself saying and feel your lips move as you recite the lords prayer its time to talk to someone. Crazy stuff. Although after going to the medjagordia site for other reasons a few weeks ago. As I was perusing mary's messages I did finally figure out what one of the visions was and it was a good one. Or potentially good. Depends on the faithful.
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