Ps 89:2-3.4-5.27,
Romans 4: 13.16-18.22,
Saint Joseph, the Husband of Mary
The Proto Saint Joseph
Brethren, what a Great Man, St Joseph is! He was made great not because of any privileges but because of the choices he made in life. Today’s Gospel refers to him as a “righteous man” and as a man who “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Thus, his greatness is primarily on account of his moral righteousness and obedience to the will of God. The first reading proclaims an everlasting kingdom and how God decided to grant it to a “son of David.” The Gospel proclaims the accomplishment of the promise made to David: one of his descendants has fulfilled the words of Nathan beyond all expectations. The second reading speaks of Abraham, the man who placed his trust in God. Like Abraham, Joseph too believed that the dreams of God would be fulfilled. Abraham and Joseph prove that whoever puts their trust in God will never be disappointed.
Whenever we take a closer look at the person of Joseph, the husband of Mary, we soon realize that we tend to take St. Joseph for granted not because we like to ignore him but because we naturally assume Jesus being God deserves all the attention and much is not said about Joseph. However, there are lot of lessons and virtues to learn from this great man, Joseph, some of which we would now try to itemize:
1. St. Joseph was a just man.
The Bible refers to Joseph as a just man. This means he was a man of integrity. He was well respected in the community. He had a good name. He was a man of justice. He was not a wayward person and he believed in doing what is right at all times. Can it be said about me that I am a just person? Do I practice selective integrity?
2. St. Joseph did not take joy in seeing the Pain of others.
St. Joseph was unwilling to put Mary to shame despite learning of her pregnancy before they came to be together as husband and wife. When I happen to suspect others of doing wrong, what is my immediate reaction? Do I keep things to myself or begin to gossip and announce to others?
3. St. Joseph was Obedient to God at his own expense.
We are told that when Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the Angel of the Lord had commanded him. He agreed to play the role of a foster father to the Son of God. This meant that he agreed to live as a celibate for the rest of his life for the sake of Jesus Christ. His own form of celibacy would even be more demanding given that unlike other celibates, he would have to live in the same house with a woman not related to him. Can I make sacrifices for God? Am I only interested in what I can get from God rather than what I should give to God? Am I faithful to the demands of my calling in life? Do I keep my vows and promises to God?
4. St. Joseph was a Man of Faith.
It takes great faith to agree to do what Joseph did for Jesus and Mary. Do you notice that God only spoke to him through dreams? Unlike the case of Mary and Zechariah who had an Angel appear to them on a broad day, Joseph had to depend on his dreams. Joseph had four dreams recorded in the scripture and from each dream, he did the will of God.
In his first dream, Joseph is told “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. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20–21). In his second dream, Joseph is told, “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” (Matthew 2:13). In his third dream, Joseph is told, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead” (Matthew 2:20). And in his fourth dream, Joseph is warned to go instead to Galilee rather than Judea (Matthew 2:22).
It takes great faith to believe that what we see in our dreams is not simply a figment of our imagination. It takes Faith to believe that a young woman would actually conceive without knowing a man. Do I put a limit in my mind to what God can do? Do I really believe that with God, all things are possible? Am I willing to act based on what God reveals to me daily through my study of the scriptures?
5. Joseph is a man of faith and fatherly care
Joseph was a worthy successor to the great patriarchs of the old covenant - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph followed the call of God through the mysterious circumstances that surrounded the coming of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled all the promises made to Abraham and his offspring. God entrusted this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. He is a model for all who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young. Joseph is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption.
Reflect today on the person and virtues of St Joseph, always regarded as a proto-saint or the first saint. Pray to him so that you may get the same virtues he had, and that he may be the role model of all husbands, and fathers, that he may pray for all families to live in peace and harmony and in the fear of the Lord as him and his Holy Family did. May he protect the church and families as he protected the Child Jesus our Saviour.
Let us Pray.
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen. (Prayer from Patris Corde, by Pope Francis)
Be blessed and May St Joseph pray for us
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