Today's Mass Readings (Jesus' coming prophesied / Question concerning why Joseph didn't know Holy Spirit was father of Mary's child (???)

[distracted]

Thursday (12-18)

**Jeremiah 23:5-8: **

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.” Therefore, the days will come, says the Lord, when they shall no longer say, “As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”; but rather, “As the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land of the north” - and from all the lands to which I banished them; they shall again live on their own land.

St. Matthew 1:18-25:

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 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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child 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 him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son and he named him Jesus.


*
I am wondering: If Joseph knew she was pregnant, how did he not also know that it was through the Holy Spirit???*

 

[cthulhubryan]

I am wondering: If Joseph knew she was pregnant, how did he not also know that it was through the Holy Spirit???

I’d have to guess that in his experience when a bride-to-be was found pregnant that mailman, milkman and neighbor were more likely to be the usual suspects.

Also, God need St. Joseph to be 100% sure and not just have a faint feeling.

Not trying to be rude, just my thoughts.

 

[distracted]

I’d have to guess that in his experience when a bride-to-be was found pregnant that mailman, milkman and neighbor were more likely to be the usual suspects.

Also, God need St. Joseph to be 100% sure and not just have a faint feeling.

s.

but my question was more…well… I mean, it seems to me that when Joseph found out she was pregnant (Bible doesn’t say how he found out)… it should have been an issue then… i mean, i KNOW it was an issue then… who the Father was… but… well, whatever…

i guess what is needed is the info on how Joseph found out she was pregnant…

i wonder if any saint has had any vision about that??

 

[Reuben_J]

but my question was more…well… I mean, it seems to me that when Joseph found out she was pregnant (Bible doesn’t say how he found out)… it should have been an issue then… i mean, i KNOW it was an issue then… who the Father was… but… well, whatever…

i guess what is needed is the info on how Joseph found out she was pregnant…

i wonder if any saint has had any vision about that??

Hi bro.

Even though the Gospel is narrative, it only tells what relevant to the faith. In other word it is a teaching told exquisitely as a story. We are therefore only to be involved with what been told. Nevertheless it is always good to satisfy our inquisitive mind because it widens our scope of knowledge of the word. So ther is nothing wrong with your questions in this thread.

The thrust of the passage in my opinion is the virgin birth of Jesus and the holy obedience of Joseph, an ordinary man. This is something for us to ponder about today. What would we do when faced with something that’s beyond our human comprehension and rationale? Would we just submit ourselves in obedience and carry out what God want of us. That can come in many forms in the practicalities of our lives. If you are asked to be a prayer leader, for example, and you hardly know how to lead, would you decline or would you fall on your knees and ask God to help and then make an effort to learn? In many instances, God will come to our aid and do the necessity for us, just like what he did to Joseph. He sent the angel to affirm Joseph so as to erase any doubt that God was involved in the plan. This seems to increase Joseph faith to carry out his new role.

It doesn’t say how Joseph found out about the pregnancy and we can only assume. But surely that’s not important to issue as been said above. The richness of the Gospel however is that we can freely reflect on what Joseph could have gone through in the society that he lived in. Lots of that may involve his courage in accepting and facing the taboo and the norm of his society for the sake of the Lord. We can learn much from Joseph.

I am not sure of any vision that any saints might have pertaining to this. We cannot rule out however that God would be gracious to grant the vision if need to.

God bless.

 

[distracted]

Hi bro.

The thrust of the passage in my opinion is the virgin birth of Jesus and the holy obedience of Joseph, an ordinary man. This is something for us to ponder about today. What would we do when faced with something that’s beyond our human comprehension and rationale? Would we just submit ourselves in obedience and carry out what God want of us.

I’m not a “bro” but a sister (almost literally, since i live like a nun, but anyway…)

This is a good point to focus on… reminds me of the passage where Jesus says something about how when he returns will he “find faith on the earth?”

i have been in amazing circumstances that required … well… (long story) but required a lot of me… and i didn’t feel up to the challenge, to say the least… sometimes i have felt the need to spend literally HOURS in the Real Presence just to get the beginnings of a clue as to how to proceed… and even then… well, God never tells us what to do… or takes away a fraction of our free will… but anway… maybe i am digressing… ???

doesn’t say how Joseph found out about the pregnancy and we can only assume.

i wonder if Mary told him? But if so, why would she neglect to tell him that God was the father? Maybe that’s what God wanted her to do… (to test Joseph???) Who knows? I don’t need to be absolutely satisfied on this to believe the story… but it is interesting to think about and something i never noticed b4…

:heaven: