Friday - Fourth Week in Lent (Feast of St. Joseph)

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View this email in your browser A daily Lenten e-mail with lessons of hope and courage, inspired by a variety of resources to encourage us in these confusing and turbulent times from St. Luke’s Church, Lebanon. Friday - Fourth Week in Lent The Feast of Saint Joseph We do not know much about Joseph. The gospel lesson appointed for the day refers to him as a “righteous man” and as a man who “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” The key to understanding Joseph’s importance is his moral righteousness and his obedience to the will of God. We see Joseph’s obedience when he obeyed the voice of God given to him in four scriptural dreams. In the first, the angel told him “do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that 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” (Matthew 1:20–21). In his second dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13). In the third dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead” (Matthew 2:20). And finally, the fourth dream warns Joseph to go instead to Galilee rather than Judea (Matthew 2:22) to protect the young child Jesus. If we read them in succession, the dreams demonstrate Joseph’s attentiveness to the will of God. But such dreams (or any divine communication) need someone willing to hear what they have to say. In other words, Joseph exemplifies openness to the voice of God and how to listen. Joseph responded with complete submission and full determination. The commands Joseph received were significant. His obedience required that he and his family travel great distances, take up residence in strange lands, and do so because he all based on his trust in God. Take a moment today to reflect on the call of Joseph. Ponder how he responded to God in those early years of his marriage and in his role in raising the child Jesus. Consider his commitment to care for, provide for and protect his wife and his son. Seek to imitate Joseph’s righteousness and openness to God’s will as we seek the presence of Christ in our hearts. Scripture Lessons appointed for the day (Click on the lesson for the text) 2 Samuel 7:4,8-16 Romans 4:13-18 Luke 2:41-52 Psalm 89:1-29    The Flight into Egypt Rembrandt  “Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett Hearing God's voice . . .  Have you ever dreamed a dream that influenced your decisions? How does God speak to you? Who are the messengers of God in your life?   Psalm 89 Performed by Chris Brunelle Owen Alstott  copyright 1977, 1990 OCP   “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” ― Paulo Coelho Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.