Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me recognize God’s purpose for myself…

Matthew 1:18-24
 
It is one thing to accept God’s purpose for my life. Of course, given the stark choice of light and dark, good or evil, life or death, I will choose God’s ways. But it is always a challenge to discern God’s purpose from my own. Joseph faced this quandary when his fiancé announced her pregnancy, reportedly ‘by the Holy Spirit’. His culture, upbringing and faithful heart led him to ‘dismiss her quietly’. But Joseph was a righteous man who accepted the purpose of God for himself, and so he did not act in haste, but waited. He did not simply act on what ‘they’ said, or consult others widely, but waited by himself on God to know His unique and complete purpose in this particular set of events. Then in the dark night of patient, though perhaps tortuous, waiting to know God’s way forward, Joseph perceived in a dream just what God’s purpose was. Counter to all he “knew”, he recognized that it was God’s purpose that he, Joseph, take Mary for his wife, name and father the Holy Child, Jesus ‘God saves’, within her – and not be afraid during the journey forward. We are told that Joseph, awoke from sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded. With this one act of recognizing and carrying out God’s purpose himself, Joseph played a pivotal role in bringing the Son of God who was the Son to Man to birth, through to maturity and eventually to the redemption of all humanity.  Will I, like Joseph, wait upon, perceive, and act upon, God’s unique purpose for my life?  Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me recognize God’s purpose for myself. 
 
Indeed, you love truth in the heart; in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom; A pure heart create for me O God, and put a steadfast spirit within me.    (Psalm 51:6,10)
 
He became what we are that he might make us what he is.
St. Athanasius
 
Soli ad gloriam dei
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