28 Dec A “Stand Up” Guy (Matt 2:13) by Rosemary Bernth
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors. LIFE Minute radio.
“When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.'” ~ Matt 2:13 (full readings)
Rosemary’s Reflections: An unexpected pregnancy, his wife giving birth in a stable, and now fleeing the country…St. Joseph probably wasn’t expecting fatherhood to be this demanding. But instead of abandoning his family, he put his faith in God and did everything he could to protect his wife and newborn Son. He put their lives before his own, in a way imitating how God came down to earth to give His life for us, His children. How many women are pressured into abortion by their husbands or boyfriends? How many good men have lost the opportunity to hold a child in their arms because it’s believed to be “only a woman’s issue”? Yet it takes a mix of female and male DNA to create a child. Abortion is a human issue that we all need to stand up against.
* Rosemary Bernth (LIFE Runner) was a journalist for the Diocese of Sioux City’s newspaper and is now a writing/travel graduate student at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Faith Challenge: Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day that remembers those little lives lost due to Herod’s decree. I would like to believe some parents would have fought back to keep their children safe. Yet today, hundreds of unborn babies are being slaughtered under the “decree” of Roe vs. Wade. Take the time to pray for the parents of an unborn child to have the strength to choose Life.
Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel.
Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
Feast Day: Holy Innocents.
Faith Quote: “Fatherhood will put a man through a lot, but it’s a tremendous job, the best in the world – even better than playing basketball.” ~ Derek Fisher (NBA champion)