For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations…

Romans 4:16-18

Here are the complete readings for Wednesday, March 19, 2025

(“St. Joseph-‘Nativity of Christ'” by Giotto)

St. Paul challenges us to not be afraid to believe. Why be afraid? Because we dread the disappointment that comes from believing in someone or something and having our expectations dashed. This hurts, and we naturally try to avoid this letdown by not allowing ourselves to be open at all. We say “no” without even saying anything. Today, Paul encourages us to be courageous in the face of the unknown, just as St. Joseph was when all of his options seemed to be bad. As we think about what or who we put our faith in, can we say yes to falling in love, in spite of the sting that can come from making ourselves open to failure or rejection? Can we accept those difficult realities with the confidence that we are still loved and cherished, always? Can we believe it?

You have responded to the invitation:
Come follow me.
Day by day
you will need to renew your response.
Do not become discouraged
over the difficulties you encounter
in your life of gospel service.
Knowing that difficulties would be your share,
your Founder judged:
that nothing special is achieved
without much labor, effort and zeal. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, in our moments of doubt and indecision, we pray you give us the comfort of your presence. We are grateful that we are free to make decisions about belief or unbelief, and that you never leave our side, even if we choose not to embrace you and your grace. Thank you for the gift of each new hour in our lives that gives us the chance to say “yes” to your voice.

Amen