Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Introductory Prayer:
Lord, in spite of difficulties I trust in your love and mercy. I believe in you, I hope in you, and I love you above all things. These ingredients  faith, hope and love  will help strengthen me for today's battle. Lord, I entrust myself to you unconditionally.  

Petition:
Lord, grant me a clean conscience like that of your foster father, Joseph.

1. My Situation:
A danger could exist on our spiritual journey. When everything is quiet, works well and is intelligible, or when others esteem our efforts, our life seems to flourish. On the other hand, when everything is tough, humiliating or painful, a repugnance seems to cast a gray cloud over us. We may even begin to wonder if God still loves us. We need to keep our faith in God strong always. Joseph is a good example for us to emulate, for he did not become discouraged easily when undergoing trials.

2. A Clean Conscience:
Joseph, a just man, wanted to believe Mary's story, but the facts were too harsh to comprehend. He loved and cared for Mary, but he felt betrayed. Since he had a clean conscience, he tried to dismiss the perfect dream of taking Mary to be his wife and decided to divorce her quietly. God, seeing Joseph's honesty, communicated to him the truth about Mary's integrity. A message in a dream was enough to convince his willing heart. How willing am I to believe the works of God in my life? How willing am I to fulfill God's will?

3. Not All Is Easy for a Just Man:
God chose a man of great integrity and detail to shoulder the daunting responsibility of raising his Son. Would Joseph ever have imagined that five months after taking Mary into his home he would have to take her to Bethlehem without any comforts or security during the journey? Would he ever have imagined that he would have to flee to Egypt, dodging swords and soldiers? This was the price he paid for being an honorable man. However, the Lord rewarded Joseph with being the foster father of the Creator of the Universe, with all the blessings and satisfactions that this would imply.

Conversation with Christ:
O Christ, King and Lord, your foster father Saint Joseph provides me
with an example of courage in bearing serenely the weight of life's crosses
and difficulties. Help me to see the beauty of giving limitlessly and
surrendering my life to you.

Resolution:
I will chat with Saint Joseph at some moment during the day, asking him to teach me how to be serene in times of trial.