How many times have we
prayed hard for something to happen even if we know that in our human mind it
is near to impossible? We cried, kneeled, beg before God and yet nothing
happens. But we continued, because we
have this faith that somehow someday something will happen.
Such was the faith of
Abraham who long for a child for many years. The 2nd reading today
taken from Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 talks about how this promise of God was
fulfilled after many years of waiting. His prayer was not answered moments
after praying, nor was it answered after an hour or a day or weeks but years!
The reading says, “He believe, hoping against hope.”
Abrahams story continued
in the life of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary. He hoped for a wife and a family. He finally
found one but then along the way, he found out the Mary was pregnant and it was
not his. What a devastating blow to his hopes and dreams. Like Abraham, he
believes, hoping against hope and all these is gone. However, while he has
these feelings, Joseph also has this deep and abiding faith in God. And we know
how the story ends when he took Mary home. What a wonderful faith!
He decided to take Mary
home because His heart knows, whether Mary is pregnant or not, he loves her anyway,
it doesn’t matter! But most importantly because of faith he truly believes that
what he heard and saw in the dream was true and is from God.
He built a family on the
foundation of faith, hope and love.
Lord, whatever our hopes
and dreams are, we believe that you have great plans for us and so we hope
against hope knowing that you are a promise keeper. Amen.
On the Feast Day of
Saint Joseph.
March 19, 2018