April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Good News for Kids
Joseph chooses Mary
If you helped decorate the Christmas tree this year, you probably figured out that your parents already knew how they wanted it to look! Your mom might like tinsel instead of garland; your dad thinks you have to put the tree in a corner, no matter what.
Maybe you wanted to decorate the tree your own way. Kids have lots of good ideas, but everyone needs a little help sometimes -- even grownups.
In this week's Gospel (Matthew 1:18-24), even Joseph needs some advice about whether to become Jesus' stepfather!
When Joseph found out that Mary would be the mother of Jesus, he decided not to marry her. But in a dream, an angel said to him, "Joseph, take Mary home with you. The Holy Spirit gave her this child, and you will name Him Jesus, because He will save the world." Joseph married Mary, and soon, Jesus was born.
Even if your dad says the Christmas tree has to go in the corner when you want it in the middle of the room, that doesn't mean your idea is bad. It probably just means he's put up the tree a bunch of times and knows where it fits best.
Joseph's ideas on getting married weren't bad, either. He didn't want anyone but him to have a baby with Mary; so when he found out she was going to have a baby that would be God's Son, Joseph was upset. He thought maybe he shouldn't marry her.
The best way to decorate for Christmas is to use a few of each person's ideas. Maybe your mom and dad gave advice about where to put the tree, but you put on the ornaments!
That's what happened to Joseph. An angel from God told him to stick to his first idea: get married to Mary. The angel knew Joseph loved Mary and would be a good stepfather to Jesus.
Nothing -- from decorating Christmas trees to becoming Jesus' dad -- is too big or small for God to care about!
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me come to you with all my worries. Amen. Merry Christmas!
(12-20-01) [[In-content Ad]]
MORE NEWS STORIES
- Sister Annella miracle, pope vacation, Christian village attacked | Week in Review
- Village of Dolton buys Pope Leo’s boyhood home as pilgrims visit and pray
- Supreme Court term’s major decisions set stage for more on religious liberty
- Catholic baseball player now in the big leagues says faith, family rank No. 1
- Kidnapped Nigeria priest who served in Alaska still held captive, sources say
- AI must have ethical management, regulation protecting human person, pope says
- Wounds of Srebrenica massacre still felt 30 years later
- Superman
- Judge blocks Trump birthright citizenship order in new class action
- Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use
Comments:
You must login to comment.