DECEMBER 14, 2023

THURSDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

A YES TO A PLAN THAT MAY NOT LOOK PLANNED

OPENING PRAYER:

COME, HOLY SPIRIT. I welcome you into my heart as Mary did. Come with power. Help me to offer my own yes to God the Father, saying with trust: “May it be done unto me according to your word.”

TODAY’S THOUGHT:

God's plan is perfect. But it may not always look that way to us. He sees the big picture, while we only see a sliver or a small slice. As a result, it sometimes seems to us that God's plan isn't very planned. In these moments, our yes becomes more difficult. It's hard enough when the plan seems solid and trustworthy, but what about those moments when the plan doesn't seem as certain?

Abraham is a good example of what it looks like to keep trusting the Lord, to keep saying yes, even when the plan may not look that planned. Abraham was 75 years old when the Lord promised a great land to his descendants, but at the time, Abraham had no children. Years passed without Abraham and Sarah having a child. Abraham questioned the Lord, who repeated his promise and asked Abraham to keep believing. Finally, when he was 100, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. God saw the whole picture all along, but he asked Abraham to trust and keep saying yes even though he didn't see the big picture himself.

Our yes to the Lord is often similar. We are asked to trust a plan that doesn't always seem like a plan.

St. Joseph profoundly experienced this himself, with the Lord often speaking to him in dreams with commands and instructions that veered from what he first expected. Joseph often expected one thing, only to find out that God's plan was different. Think about the very first dream of Joseph, which took place after he decided to quietly break off his betrothal to Mary when he received news that she was with child. Joseph is described in Scripture as a just and upright man, so we know that he didn't make this decision lightly. He was a man of prayer and virtue, so he spent time wrestling with this. It was only after he prayerfully made the decision that the Lord sent the angel to him with the message: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home." (Matthew 1:20)

Other dreams in which Joseph experienced this unexpected change of plans include:

Second dream: In Matthew 2:13, Joseph is warned to leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt.
Third dream: In Matthew 2:19–20, while in Egypt, Joseph is told that it is safe to go back to Israel.
Fourth dream: In Matthew 2:22, because he had been warned in a dream, Joseph awakens to depart for the region of Galilee instead of going to Judea.

TODAY’S PRAYER:

It's important to remember that what may not appear to be planned to us is always planned and foreseen by the Lord. Whether he is actively directing situations or simply permitting us to experience certain things, nothing happens without the Lord knowing exactly what is happening. To reassure you and help you say yes to the Lord, pray over these verses from the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

FOR YOUR REFLECTION:

*Daniele Crespi, Saint Joseph’s Dream. Circa 1620 and 1630.*

The painter Daniele Crespi depicts St. Joseph's second dream when the angel says to Joseph: “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt." (Matthew 2:13) Crespi depicts an angel robed in bright white and red, touching Joseph with his left hand while pointing to Mary and the Child with his right hand. Joseph, exhausted, sleeps at his workbench, apparently continuing his trade even while in Bethlehem for the census in order to support his family.

For Joseph, this represents another moment when he probably expected one thing, only to discover that God's plan was different. What is wonderful about Joseph is his quiet obedience to the Lord in each of these moments. We might think that the Lord needs to speak to Joseph in his dreams because awake he is not very docile to the Lord. But this would be a mistake. Joseph's quiet obedience each and every time the Lord gives him direction is something marvelous to behold. Joseph kept offering a yes to a plan that may not have looked very planned.

Notice the angel's peaceful, almost smiling face. The angel carries the Lord's peace into this situation. When we fear that God's plan isn't so planned, and so, hold back on our yes, it's good to be attentive to the ways God is communicating his peace to us. For Joseph, it was through the angel. For you, it may be through a family member, a close friend, or a message you hear in Scripture or in a homily. Be open to however it may be that the Lord reassures you: "Do not be afraid!"

For your continued prayer, return to the verses from Isaiah above and then offer one of the Prayers of Surrender and Abandonment this day.

The Gospel of Yes Daily Reflection for Dec. 14, 2023