Presence

At any time of the day or night, we can call on Jesus.
He is always waiting, listening for our call.
What a wonderful blessing.
No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.

Freedom

God is not foreign to my freedom.
Instead, the Spirit breathes life into my most intimate desires,
gently nudging me towards all that is good.
I ask for the grace to let myself be enfolded by the Spirit.

Consciousness

Lord, I bring to mind everyone who has asked for my prayers, and lay them at your feet, along with all my own needs and burdens.

The Word of God

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

²³“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.”

²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife

Inspiration

This must have been a very difficult time for both Mary and Joseph. It is clear that Joseph puzzled over what he should do and finally resolved on a particular course of action before the angel intervened. We too are often left by God to puzzle over what we should do in difficult circumstances. Through prayer and careful discernment in the light of the gospels, we need to trust that God will show us the way.

Joseph, like Mary, is specially chosen by God. He is, we read, ‘a righteous man’, and in his goodness, he wants to spare Mary any embarrassment and shame among her neighbours. In his obedience to the message of the angel and in his carrying out of what is being asked of him, he becomes a model for all Christians who seek to do God’s will. We ask for the grace to know and to do God’s will, and we pray especially for all married couples.

Conversation

I imagine now one of the Persons of the Trinity before me, Father, Son or Holy Spirit, whoever comes to my imagination most naturally, and I have a heart-to-heart conversation about what I have just read or what I am feeling and experiencing in my life today.

Conclusion

I thank God for His gift of love
as I go forth with joy and hope
to serve His people.

Amen