My reflection today is from Living Faith:
He believed, hoping against hope… Romans 4:18
“Hoping against hope is a powerful phrase. In today’s liturgy, it is applied to aged Abraham who eventually had a descendent birthed to his wife Sarah and himself. This same phrase can be applied to Joseph whose feast we celebrate today. In both cases, their hope seemed surreal. Abraham was too old to father a child, and Joseph questioned the possibility and worth of whether to accept pregnant Mary as his bride. Both of these men hoped against hope, trusted yet hesitated, believed yet questioned. They had faith and still were unsure. In the end, they gave themselves fully to a decision based on that faith. And both ended up having their hope fulfilled.
I need this reassurance when I hope against hope, particularly when I long for a world where divisions cease and love of neighbor – all neighbors – becomes the norm. I hope against hope that my small efforts to be kind and non-judgmental might contribute to that reality.” Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
