Thursday of the Third Week of Lent - March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph
2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2:41-51a
One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is faith. When I was a little girl and life was challenging, my mother would always say, “You just have to have faith.” Those simple words have carried me through life as an individual, as a family member and as a community member.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, the words “Hence, all depends on faith, everything is a grace,” spoke to my individual faith. I often look to God for those moments of grace, or ‘God winks.’ Those are the moments when I am amazed by God’s hand in my life.
“Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife.” As the father of Jesus and husband of Mary, I am astonished by Joseph and his faith in God’s plan for his family. As a parent and wife, I too must remember to have no fear in raising my family. Life with five kids can be lovely and challenging, but I must have faith that God’s grace is with me along the way.
In the second book of Samuel, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me” is a big promise. However, Paul explains further in his letter to the Romans, that their inheritance of the world will not depend on law, but on the faith they have inherited and the justice that springs from that faith. I can’t help but think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the members of his Christian community. Dr. King was part of a faith community that knew their human rights were guaranteed by God, not by civil law. They stood strong in their faith and God prevailed.
Faith can be passed on to the next generation both by towering icons of the Bible such as David, Paul, Joseph; and by towering fi gures in our own lives, such as my own mother. With faith we can find grace in our own lives, our own families and our own communities. The faith we pass on to the next
generation is by God’s grace and can last forever!
Q: What is an important part of your faith that you inherited from the generation before you? What do you want to pass on to the next generation?
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2:41-51a
One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is faith. When I was a little girl and life was challenging, my mother would always say, “You just have to have faith.” Those simple words have carried me through life as an individual, as a family member and as a community member.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, the words “Hence, all depends on faith, everything is a grace,” spoke to my individual faith. I often look to God for those moments of grace, or ‘God winks.’ Those are the moments when I am amazed by God’s hand in my life.
“Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife.” As the father of Jesus and husband of Mary, I am astonished by Joseph and his faith in God’s plan for his family. As a parent and wife, I too must remember to have no fear in raising my family. Life with five kids can be lovely and challenging, but I must have faith that God’s grace is with me along the way.
In the second book of Samuel, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me” is a big promise. However, Paul explains further in his letter to the Romans, that their inheritance of the world will not depend on law, but on the faith they have inherited and the justice that springs from that faith. I can’t help but think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the members of his Christian community. Dr. King was part of a faith community that knew their human rights were guaranteed by God, not by civil law. They stood strong in their faith and God prevailed.
Faith can be passed on to the next generation both by towering icons of the Bible such as David, Paul, Joseph; and by towering fi gures in our own lives, such as my own mother. With faith we can find grace in our own lives, our own families and our own communities. The faith we pass on to the next
generation is by God’s grace and can last forever!
Q: What is an important part of your faith that you inherited from the generation before you? What do you want to pass on to the next generation?
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