Joseph, Episode 13 (12/10/2021)
Episode 13: Joseph
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet." Matthew 1:18-25
Where are all these angels coming from?? It was an angel that visited Mary and told her that she would be the Mother of Jesus, and now, an angel comes to me! It was last night in a dream. “Do not be afraid, Joseph,” the angel said. The angel didn't want me to be afraid to take Mary as my wife and to be the father of the baby Jesus! How did the angel know I was afraid? ...I guess God and His angels know a lot about us…
If it is easy for Mary to see that I'm afraid, it's probably easy for Heaven to see too. But you know what? I believe the angel is right. With God leading us, there really is nothing to fear. For days I’ve been thinking about what the angel said to my Mary: “With God, all things are possible.” And now there’s this: “Do not be afraid, Joseph.” The Lord must really be looking out for us. I do not know what will happen tomorrow, but I know that God is with us and for our baby Jesus. Lord, I trust in you. Help me be a good husband and a good dad!
Learn from me in these special days of Advent: Do not let fear keep you from trusting God! You may feel a little afraid or nervous or worried. That's ok. We can't just turn off our feelings. But we don't have to let them completely control us either! Don't be afraid to step out and trust God.
Lord Jesus, during these days of Advent where the days seem so short and night comes quickly, help me like Saint Joseph to not be afraid and to trust that, no matter what, you are always with me to give me strength and light. Thank you for your faithfulness. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.
Prayer Starter for Parents
Throughout the Bible the Lord tells us over and over again: Do not be afraid! So God obviously knows that we battle fear and that fear often wants to take us over and keep us from doing what is good and right. Your kids have already experienced this in many ways.
For your prayer time today, spend a minute asking your kids what kind of fears they think St. Joseph may have had. Ask them what fears they may have about saying yes to Jesus and following Jesus. You may be surprised what you hear! And then remind them of the lesson from today: Don't let the feelings us fear keep you from doing what is good and right. We need help to do that. And the Lord promises us that help in Psalm 23. Pray this together with your kids and ask then Lord to help each of you to take these words deep into your heart so you can trust the Lord no matter what you may feel:
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd.
I have everything I need.
He gives me rest in green pastures.
He leads me to calm water.
He gives me new strength.
For the good of his name,
he leads me on paths that are right.
Even if I walk
through a very dark valley,
I will not be afraid
because you are with me.
Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.
You prepare a meal for me
in front of my enemies.
You pour oil of blessing on my head.
You give me more than I can hold.
Surely your goodness and love will be with me
all my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Episode 13: Joseph
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet." Matthew 1:18-25
Where are all these angels coming from?? It was an angel that visited Mary and told her that she would be the Mother of Jesus, and now, an angel comes to me! It was last night in a dream. “Do not be afraid, Joseph,” the angel said. The angel didn't want me to be afraid to take Mary as my wife and to be the father of the baby Jesus! How did the angel know I was afraid? ...I guess God and His angels know a lot about us…
If it is easy for Mary to see that I'm afraid, it's probably easy for Heaven to see too. But you know what? I believe the angel is right. With God leading us, there really is nothing to fear. For days I’ve been thinking about what the angel said to my Mary: “With God, all things are possible.” And now there’s this: “Do not be afraid, Joseph.” The Lord must really be looking out for us. I do not know what will happen tomorrow, but I know that God is with us and for our baby Jesus. Lord, I trust in you. Help me be a good husband and a good dad!
Learn from me in these special days of Advent: Do not let fear keep you from trusting God! You may feel a little afraid or nervous or worried. That's ok. We can't just turn off our feelings. But we don't have to let them completely control us either! Don't be afraid to step out and trust God.
Lord Jesus, during these days of Advent where the days seem so short and night comes quickly, help me like Saint Joseph to not be afraid and to trust that, no matter what, you are always with me to give me strength and light. Thank you for your faithfulness. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.
Prayer Starter for Parents
Throughout the Bible the Lord tells us over and over again: Do not be afraid! So God obviously knows that we battle fear and that fear often wants to take us over and keep us from doing what is good and right. Your kids have already experienced this in many ways.
For your prayer time today, spend a minute asking your kids what kind of fears they think St. Joseph may have had. Ask them what fears they may have about saying yes to Jesus and following Jesus. You may be surprised what you hear! And then remind them of the lesson from today: Don't let the feelings us fear keep you from doing what is good and right. We need help to do that. And the Lord promises us that help in Psalm 23. Pray this together with your kids and ask then Lord to help each of you to take these words deep into your heart so you can trust the Lord no matter what you may feel:
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd.
I have everything I need.
He gives me rest in green pastures.
He leads me to calm water.
He gives me new strength.
For the good of his name,
he leads me on paths that are right.
Even if I walk
through a very dark valley,
I will not be afraid
because you are with me.
Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.
You prepare a meal for me
in front of my enemies.
You pour oil of blessing on my head.
You give me more than I can hold.
Surely your goodness and love will be with me
all my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Welcome to the St. John the Evangelist’s Advent Podcast. Today is Episode 13, and I am Joseph!
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet... Matthew: Chapter 1:Verses 18-25.
Where are all these angels coming from?? It was an angel that visited Mary and told her that she would be the Mother of Jesus, and now, an angel comes to me! It was last night in a dream. “Do not be afraid, Joseph,” the angel said. The angel didn't want me to be afraid to take Mary as my wife and to be the father of the baby Jesus! How did the angel know I was afraid? ...I guess God and His angels know a lot about us… If it is easy for Mary to see that I'm afraid, it's probably easy for Heaven to see too. But you know what? I believe the angel is right. With God leading us, there really is nothing to fear. For days I’ve been thinking about what the angel said to my Mary, “with God, all things are possible.” And now there’s this: “Do not be afraid, Joseph.” The Lord must really be looking out for us. I do not know what will happen tomorrow, but I know that God is with us and for our baby Jesus. Lord, I trust in you. Help me be a good husband and a good dad!
As you prepare for Christ, learn from me, Joseph, that you do not have to be afraid when God is with you. When you pray, give him the things that frighten you and open your hearts to receive his strength and help.
Lord Jesus, during these days of Advent where the days seem so short and night comes quickly, help me like Saint Joseph to not be afraid and to trust that, no matter what, you are always with me to give me strength and light. Thank you for your faithfulness. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.
Thank you for listening to our podcast! Tune in tomorrow for Episode 14 when we will hear from St. Anne, the Mother of Mary
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.