Beads of Joy Blog II (2025)

December 18 Do Not Be Afraid Readings: Jeremiah 23:5-8 / Matthew 1:18-25 Reflection Joseph wakes up to discover Mary is pregnant. The world as he knows it has just been turned upside down. He's a righteous man, the Gospel tells us, so he plans to divorce her quietly to protect her from public disgrace. But that night, an angel appears in a dream with a message that changes everything: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her." Do not be afraid. Those words echo through Scripture whenever God is about to do something extraordinary. The angel continues: "She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph wakes up, he does exactly what the angel commanded. He takes Mary as his wife. He steps into God's plan even though he doesn't have all the answers. He becomes the guardian of...

December 17 Names That Tell a Story Readings: Genesis 49:2, 8-10 / Matthew 1:1-17 Reflection Matthew starts his Gospel with something most people skip: a genealogy. Forty-two generations from Abraham to Jesus. Name after name after name. But if you've ever traced your own family history, really dug into where you came from, you know these aren't just names. They're people. Lives. Stories. Faith is passed down through centuries. I've spent years as a family historian tracing my own heritage, and I discovered that my family name was originally Decio in Italy before it became Dacey in America. As I traced the lines back through my family tree, through Pesci, DeRosa, DeMartini, DePete, Merola, I wasn't just collecting names. I was uncovering how faith survived immigration, persecution, poverty and somehow made it to me. Matthew's genealogy is stunning because he doesn't sanitize it. Right there in Jesus' family tree: Tamar (who posed as a prostitute to t...

December 16 Faith That Moves Happy Birthday, Kenia 💖 I love you. Readings: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 / Matthew 21:28-32 Reflection Jesus tells a parable about two children and their father's simple request: "Go work in the vineyard today." The first child refuses outright, "I will not” but something stirs in their heart. Regret. Conviction. Maybe shame. Whatever it is, it moves them from refusal to obedience. They go to the vineyard. The second child responds beautifully, "Yes, sir, I will go” but never moves. The words sound perfect. The intention seems genuine. But when the sun sets, only one child is in the vineyard with soil on their hands and work completed. Jesus asks the question that pierces every comfortable soul: "Which of the two did the father's will?" The answer is obvious, but the implications are devastating. Then comes the truth that must have shocked everyone: "Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God be...

December 15 A Star Shall Advance Readings: Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17 / Matthew 21:23-27 Reflection Balaam, a pagan prophet hired to curse Israel, ends up blessing them instead. He can't help himself—the Spirit of God comes upon him and he sees what's coming: "A star shall advance from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel." He's seeing the Messiah centuries before His birth. A star. A king. Someone who will crush enemies and establish an eternal kingdom. The prophecy is stunning, given from the mouth of someone who wasn't even part of God's chosen people. God's plan is so big, so unstoppable, that even hired opposition becomes unwitting prophecy. Fast forward to Matthew's Gospel and the religious leaders corner Jesus in the temple: "By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" They're threatened. Jesus is healing, teaching, overturning tables, claiming authority over the temple itself. So they d...