19/03/2024

St Paul today helps us to pray by differentiating between law and faith. He seems to be following Jesus by saying that the following of the Law, as St Paul himself had been trained so to do, without Faith is as nothing. It was the faith of Abraham that became his righteousness. It is the faith of St. Paul and the Apostles that enables them to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and we are to respond with personal faith to each revelation that comes from God.

Jesus' beloved guardian, St Joseph, was a man who provided for his family as a skilled artisan and although a Jew aware of IAM IAM and a follower of the Law it is faith that brings him to  righteousness. 

Joseph instantly accepts the message of the dream and instead of doing what any of his contemporaries would have done he accepts the angelic message and immediately becomes the Head of the Holy Family and willingly accepts the role he has to play in the historical reality that is the Salvation of all mankind.

We can only know the will of Father, Son and Holy Spirit from what is revealed to us. God's trust in his chosen people had failed and an immense supernatural intervention was needed to bring about the changes  for creation to again become "Good".

The Chosen People had failed to live up to the promises of the Law of Moses. Mankind could not save itself so the Love that is the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and the only Begotten Son was conceived to live under the guardianship of Joseph the carpenter of Nazareth in Galilee of the Nations.

We do not need "faith" to accept historical truths. Jesus was born, died and was resurrected. We do need "faith" to apply ourselves to his teaching. He said during his trial, "My Kingdom is not of this World". 

Our Church has never acted as if it had faith in those words and we seem to be in the same situation as were the "Scribes and Pharisees" of his days on earth. I will not continue with that line of thought as my faith has to be based on "Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe." and "in every word that comes from the mouth of God".

Dear Lord, help my faith to become the law of my being so that I can honestly turn my self always to You and thus avoid the sins that have hurt and offended your  infinite goodness. Help me to understand the promptings of Holy Spirit and to welcome them with thankful joy. We, You, Our Lady, St Joseph and all the saints are all part of your Mystical Body and can thus circulate your loving mercy throughout all creation and even within the less than Holy Institution that your foundation has become. You know that I am a weak being who would love to be able to have faith in the Church but the shell of Mammon is far too thick for me to be able to penetrate. May the honest clergy become brave enough to condemn the corruptions that they have become part of and thus there will be a renewal as there was when you walked the Earth. Amen. Come Lord Jesus Come!