Joseph’s Night

 

Gospel

Matthew 1:18-24

18 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. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. 

Historical Background

Matthew writes to a Jewish audience, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The passage takes place in Nazareth, a small Galilean village where Mary and Joseph lived.

Betrothal in Jewish culture was legally binding — breaking it required a formal divorce. Mary’s pregnancy before living with Joseph would have been socially scandalous, even dangerous. Joseph, described as a “just man,” chooses mercy over public shame.

God intervenes through an angelic dream, a common biblical mode of divine communication, especially in infancy narratives.

Theological Context

The Holy Spirit conceives Jesus — affirming His divine origin and the beginning of the Incarnation. Jesus’ name is divinely given: “Jesus” (Yeshua) = “The Lord saves”. He will save His people from their sins. Matthew cites Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin shall conceive… they shall call him Emmanuel — God with us.”

Joseph’s obedience mirrors the obedience of Old Testament patriarchs who received guidance in dreams. The passage reveals a God who enters human history quietly, through ordinary people who choose trust over fear.

Learning Lessons

Trust God even when you don’t understand. Joseph obeyed before he fully grasped the plan. Mercy is the mark of righteousness. Joseph chose compassion over legalism. Obedience opens the door to divine purpose. Joseph’s “yes” protected the Messiah.

God works through interruptions. What looked like a crisis was actually salvation unfolding. God is with us. Emmanuel is not a concept — it is a presence.

Reflection for the Day

Take a moment to imagine Joseph’s night: confusion, hurt, fear… and then a divine whisper in a dream. He wakes up changed — not because the situation changed, but because God spoke into it.

Maybe you’re carrying something today that feels unclear or heavy. Maybe you’re waiting for direction, or struggling with a decision that affects your future.

Today’s reading reminds you that God is already in the story. God is already working in the silence. God is already preparing the way. Like Joseph, you don’t need to see the whole picture — just the next faithful step.

“Joseph’s Night”

In the hush of a troubled night,  

when fear pressed close like shadowed air,  

a whisper broke the trembling dark—  

“Do not be afraid, for God is there.”

A child unseen, a promise spoken,  

a future held in heaven’s hand;  

and Joseph rose with quiet courage,  

to walk a path he’d never planned.

O holy night of trust and wonder,  

where human doubt and grace collide—  

teach us to rise when God is calling,  

and take His presence as our guide.

Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus, 

You who entered our world in silence and humility, teach my heart to trust You as Joseph did. When I face uncertainty, speak Your peace into my fear. When I am tempted to choose comfort over obedience, strengthen me with Your courage. 

Be Emmanuel in my life today — God with me in every step, every decision, every waiting moment. Shape my heart to listen, to trust, and to follow. I welcome You, Jesus, Savior who comes to dwell with us. 

Amen.

Pericope:

I: The Infancy Narrative

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Matthew 1:18-24

Gospel Acclamation 

The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel. 

Reflection Source:

Conversation with Copilot

Vision still has its time, 

presses on to fulfillment, 
and will not disappoint; 

if it delays, wait for it, 
it will surely come, 
it will not be late. 

Habakkuk 1:3

The Hand of the Lord

shall come upon you in a vision

and you shall see Christ

in splendor and glory.

Ezekiel 1:1-28

I Will Dwell

The glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate.
The vision I saw was like the vision which I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and like the vision which I had seen by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.


The house shall no more defile my holy name .
While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple; and he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry, and by the dead bodies of their kings.

Ezekiel 43:3-7

THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES

Revelation 4: 1 - 11
1
After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this."
2
At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne!
3
And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.
4
Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clad in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads.
5
From the throne issue flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder, and before the throne burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God;

6 and before the throne there is

as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And round the throne,

on each side of the throne,

are four living creatures,

full of eyes in front and behind:

In October of 2007, I was installed as the first Head Servant of the new Planning Council. The structure of the Parish was changed in line with the outcome of the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly. The original Parish Pastoral Council was divided into two, namely the Planning Council and the Implementing Council. As such, we are now four who presides over the Councils Meeting, namely the Pastor, Planning Head, Implementing Head, and Finance Head. All four comprises the Parish Executive Committee (Execom) whose role is to look into all matters of church life as one body of Christ.

7 the first living creature like a lion,

the second living creature like an ox,

the third living creature with the face of a man,

and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.

THE LION - FINANCE:
In the book "Lion Taming" by Steven L. Katz, a person who possess a lion character is an individual who is his own person. He is a king who reigns from wherever he or she stands. As leaders, they are pressumed to be self-sufficient. Lions are territory guardians with uncompromised leadership. The the king of the animal kingdom so to speak, whose iron fist rule is absolute. A type of leadership that is fitting to one who holds responsibilities regarding Finance. As steward and keeper of the Lord's treasures, he must at all times be firm and transparent. He is what he is, strong and uncompromising, never to be moved and persuaded at the expense of his duties.

THE OX - PLANNING:
In February of 1961, I was born in the year of "The Ox". In chinese belief, people who were born under the influence of the Ox are blessed with equilibrium and tenacity. Few could match their determination and persistence once they have set their mind on a goal. Such a character trait fits being Head of Planning who gives directions to Parish Programs and Actitivies.

Ox people quietly labor at their daily tasks unremittingly and without complaint. They know that the way to succeed is by slow, sustained effort and they certainly don't believe in get-rich-quick schemes. The Oxen are driven by a compulsion to work hard and have no truck with free-loaders, nor with the lazy. They are both trustworthy and trusting but not particularly outgoing, often preferring self-reliance to reliance on other people.

Ox people are always as good as their word and as dependable as clockwork in their habits. And they form very strong bonds with their partners and families and make good, lifelong friends. The Ox stubbornness makes them to be staunch, upstanding and forthright. These qualities contribute toward integrity and the Ox's ability to shoulder responsibility.

Next year 2009 is again my year as an ox person.

THE FACE OF A MAN - IMPLEMENTING
No man is an island, no man stands alone. Man was created to have a companion, somebody whom he can share his life with. This befits the character of the Implementing Head. He leads a council with the most people. that is comprised of the six (6) priority commissions

THE FLYING EAGLE - PASTOR
Eagle takes to flight.

8 And the four living creatures,

each of them with six wings,

are full of eyes all round and within,

and day and night they never cease to sing,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!"

THE SIX (6) PRIORITY COMMISSIONS

9
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,

THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS


11
"Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created."

LOSING LIFE FOR GOD'S SAKE

November 11, 2005
Friday

In Matthew 16:25, the Lord said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

I can say that it is easier for me to loose my life for Your sake in Christ today because basically, I am jobless so to speak, and I do not have any sound financial investments and savings in the bank. The truth of the matter today is that I am bankrupt, totally dependent on Your provisions that supports our existence from day to day. Maybe this is also one of the reasons why I could devote more time in Your service. Will my devotion and commitment to serve You really stand in case You decide to grant all the material things I desire?

I know that I failed miserably with regards to the opportunities and blessings that You have lavishly given me in the past. I have no excuses for that, maybe such failures on the positive side became a learning experience and a gateway for me to know You more. I have lost a life but in Your goodness and grace, I have found the value of true life in You!

You brought me to a new city where You begun in me a new life with You. What comes next is all up to You. You know very well what is in my mind and heart, my hopes, dreams, and aspirations, for You are the One who created me. You know what is best for me and my family and I live it all up to You. At present, as I patiently wait upon You, Your will and revelations, I humbly stand in obedience to Your will and purpose for this new found life that You have given me.

I shared my wife today Your words that struck me. It is not by accident that You have again emphasized this reading taken from the book "Experiencing God" to be exactly the same as that of the Gospel today.


LEGITIMATE RIGHTS
Christians are commanded to lose their lives. This means they ought to deliberately release their lives to God and His kingdom. One of the greatest hindrances to your being on mission with God will be your view of what constitutes your "legitimate rights" - that is, those things that you feel you have a right to experience and enjoy. It's not difficult to turn over to Christ those things that are not a sacrifice or that you would prefer to do without anyway. Rather, it is the things that are good and that are dear to you that may stand between you and God's will.

ANOTHER CITY
It's good to be near your grown children and grandchildren, for example, but God may want you to go to another city or continent on mission with Him. It's good to get adequate rest, but you may receive a call of distress in the middle of the night. You may assume that you have a right to certain material things, yet God may ask you to release all of your possessions to Him and His purposes (Matt. 19:21).

RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE
Jesus modeled perfectly this attitude toward life. He had a legitimate right to enjoy the comforts of heaven. Yet, He did not look at it as a right He should hold on to; nor did He see leaving all that was His as a sacrifice too costly to make (Phil. 2:5-11). As a result, God highly exalted Him and brought salvation to a broken world.

Has the world convinced you that there are certain rights that you must protect? Are you trying to save your life? Have you noticed that in doing so, you are actually losing the life God wants you to have?

AS WE SEEK TO SEE HIS FACE

In my blog "A Child of God", I wrote a topic titled "How will I See and Experience Christ's Presence?", with one paragraph that reads:

"Christ will never enforce Himself upon us. If we want to see and experience His powerful life over us, we must first seek to know Him and accept that He is the Son of God, sent to redeem the world. He deserves all the honor, glory and praise as we seek to see His face."

The last sentence was written while I was listening to the song of Don Moen. I was so inspired and deeply moved with the song for it speaks of the very topic that I was writing about, most especially the words "As We Seek to See His Face".

Today, the Good Lord confirmed my thoughts. He has once more proved that He is a "Living God", who manifests His presence in the hearts of those who call upon Him in truth.

In Psalms 24:6, scripture says, "Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God".

During my time of writing, the Spirit of the Lord was upon me! It was He who wrote these words, intended for those who hunger and thirst for His powerful presence in their lives.

Not only did God confirmed my thoughts but He also revealed the promise and rewards that goes behind such powerful words. . .

"He who seeks the Face of God

will receive blessing from the Lord

and vindication from the God

of his salvation."