[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, March 20, Joseph, Husband of Mary MATTHEW 1:16,18-21,24a [or Luke 2:41-51a] Prayerthoughts a. Joseph is the principal character besides Jesus in Matthew’s infancy section. How would I describe Joseph’s role in salvation history? b. Mary conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps I should call on the Holy Spirit more for the guidance I need in life. c. Joseph was a righteous man. What is my definition of “righteous”? d. The Hebrew word for “righteous” is “one who is faithful to the demands of the Law.”  There are many important “laws” that I follow in my life. What is the principal “law” for me in my life? (This is the task of the meditation.) e. By the Law (Deuteronomy 22:23-27), Mary was to be stoned to death because of the assumed adultery, but Joseph was unwilling to denounce Mary publicly. In my thoughts about people who break the law, do I find myself too harsh in my judgment? f. In Matthew’s Gospel, “dreams” play an important part. What dream in my life has been   most striking to me? Why? g. “Jesus” in Hebrew means “God saves.” In what ways has Jesus saved me? h. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will carry out letter d. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy THE LESSONS OF JOSEPH + The readings supply some characteristics of St. Joseph          – all of which we can learn from as we strive for a greater understanding of the spiritual life + From 2 Samuel, speaking of Solomon, the son of David          – the Lord through Nathan calls him a house-builder since he would build the temple                   – Joseph was exactly that for Mary and Jesus in a literal sense                   – applied to us in the spiritual sense                            – we become house-builders for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us                                     – and in order to do it, we must continually strive for the virtues that Jesus teaches + From Paul’s letter to the Romans          – recalling Abraham and what made him so great, we learn the importance of faith                   – a characteristic of prime importance for Joseph who believed what the angel told him                            – Jesus tells us in the most used phrase in his sermons in the Gospels to have faith                                     -faith in him that should direct everything we do  + And we hear directly of that faith in the Gospel in what Joseph did in his life          – but one of the things to dwell on a little is Matthew’s description of Joseph that he was a righteous man                   – it is a good description of what we should be—righteous                            – it means primarily that Joseph was simply a good person                                     – we have to work at being simply good,                                              – a definition of “good” is a person who remains good even when they don’t know that people are watching them  + That Gospel is of course, one of the central Gospels for the season of Christmas in the Church          – the central Christian issue of the Christmas story is that Jesus came to our earth in order to save us, to help us be the people that we should be.                   – and Joseph was an important part of that          – because Jesus was God, Christians believe that he truly was Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”                   – God knew that human beings were in need of help, and so with generosity that surpassed anything the world had ever seen or would ever see,                            – God became one of us, saying to us in effect, “I am with you, I am here to help you survive                                     – all you have to do is to follow me.”  + A significant part of following Jesus is the thought of helping others          – It is a concept that is so important for human growth and maturity that if we do not experience it, we will never grow up well                   – Joseph enabled that to happen in Jesus’s life. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Can’t Feel My Face” — The Weeknd THE LIFE WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT The Gospel MATTHEW 6:25-30 Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?”

Gospelthink: I will take care of you if you try your best. Have I placed my trust in the Lord once I have done what I feel is right?

“And I know she’ll be the death of me; at least we’ll both be numb. And she’ll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come. But at least we’ll both be beautiful and stay forever young, this I know. She told me, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ She told me, ‘Don’t worry no more.’ We both knew we can’t go without it. She told me you’ll never be in love. I can’t feel my face when I’m with you, but I love it, but I love it.”

The Weeknd’s song “Can’t Feel My Face” is a song about the emotions of a couple in a relationship. The man knows that the relationship is not what it should be, but he feels good when she is around, and so he wants it. She, on the other hand, tells him not to worry about his feelings, and just allow the relationship to happen. The fact is that he should worry about the relationship because it probably is not what it should be. Jesus knew about “worry” and what we worry about. He told his disciples at one time that they should not worry about the wrong things–material goods. But he said that they should worry about what is more important than material goods in life, namely “life,” that is, how they lived and who they chose as a guide. Life was more important than any material good or emotion. He even showed that God manages to take care of animals with their material needs, and therefore never had to “worry.” In many ways, romantic involvement is nothing more than a desire to feel good on our parts, as the man in The Weeknd’s song. We get involved and desire to be told not to worry from a friend, when all we want is the good feeling that everything is okay. The man in The Weeknd’s song should have worried about the right thing, namely whether his relationship with his girlfriend was something that could bring about life instead of making him feel good. In the end, we should all be concerned about the things that really matter in life, that is, who we are and who we are becoming by our actions, words and thoughts. Yes, we should worry about important things, and our emotions can “help” guide us to what is important. But, when all we want is the emotion of feeling good, perhaps, as Jesus points out, we should be considering what is “more than” those feelings.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, we worry about many things, some of which is the idea of feeling good about life and love. As Your Son points out to us, help us be more concerned about the important things in life. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We should be concerned about the emotions concerning real life and not just feeling good.  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Jesus does not deny the reality of human needs, but forbids making them the object of worry. In your opinion, do people generally care more about “wants” than their “needs”? 2. When Jesus uses the word “life”–“life is more than food and drink”–what does he mean in your opinion? 3. Text analysis: “At least we’ll both be numb.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 4. Text analysis: “I can’t feel my face when I’m with you.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 5. In general, what do people “worry” the most about in their lives? 6. In life, what should we be most concerned about? 7. What does the song “I Can’t Feel My Face” teach young people today?