2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14,16
Matthew 1:16, 18-21,24
We step off the Lenten path to celebrate the Feast of St Joseph. Unlike other saints in our calendar, we have no dates of his birth or death, whether from history or folklore. But what we do have is his silent belief in God’s promise.
The first reading from 2 Samuel reminds us of a turning point in Israel’s history. Up until this point God’s promises have been conditional, but now the dynasty is guaranteed in perpetuity. None of this is David’s doing. David is to be bound in relationship to the Lord: ‘I will be a father to him and he a son to me.’ The tender language of father and son always strikes me. God’s covenant is not a legal contract, but a relationship of love. As the story of salvation unfolds there are many falls from grace along the way. God’s promise remains.
Now Joseph enters the story of our salvation. He is perhaps the archetypal silent man. All that he needs to know God coveys to him in a dream. Dreams are sometimes spoken of as God’s forgotten language. Paying attention to our dreams is writ through our spiritual DNA. So many key biblical characters come close to God and God’s will through their visions and dreams.
Pay attention to your dreams this week.
How is God speaking to you?