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Gospel: Matthew 1: 16-24
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“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.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today’s Gospel provides some of the clearest insights we have into the heart of Saint Joseph.
The passage begins with shock. Mary, Joseph’s bride-to-be, is found with child and Joseph knows he is not the father. Imagine his immediate reaction, that the woman whom he loved and trusted has seemingly betrayed him in a profoundly intimate way.
Though virtuous, Joseph is only human. I’d imagine after hearing the news, he cried out to God as many of us would: “God, why would you allow this to happen? Do I not pray to you in the Temple? Do I not offer sacrifice? Do I not follow your commands?”
After the initial shock settled in, we see Joseph’s virtue emerge. Although the Law permits him to have Mary stoned, he decides not to expose her to public shame, rather to divorce her quietly.
Such a gentle dismissal of his bride-to-be reveals the compassion of a man who must’ve felt betrayed, for he has yet to understand God’s plan.
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Once that plan is revealed, however, we see a deeper dimension of Joseph’s heart.
An angel appears to him in a dream, assuring him that Mary has not been unfaithful to him, that his future has not been ruined, and that his marriage can proceed, only on terms he never imagined.
Suddenly, the darkness breaks.
This doesn’t mean that Joseph understood the depths of God’s plan – he must’ve had a thousand different questions. But like Mary, Joseph doesn’t require perfect clarity to say “yes” to God’s will.
So, he takes Mary and the Christ-child into his home, revealing that he is, in his heart of hearts, a man of faith and surrender.
His docility to God’s will continues after Christ’s birth as he leads Jesus and Mary into Egypt, then helps to raise the Christ-child into his adolescent years.
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Which of Joseph’s virtues do I try to practice? Compassion? Gentleness? Faith? Surrender?
Or, ideally, all of the above.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus, Guido Reni (2) The Annunciation to Saint Joseph, Renata Sedmakova (3) Ibid.