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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.

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The only group Jesus criticizes in the Gospels are the religious authorities of his day, because they turned religion into a matter of rules, which could be followed without ever invoking the heart. 

For some, religion was strictly an external affair. “All their works are performed to be seen,” Jesus laments.

“They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets and seats of honor in synagogues.”

This temptation to appear religious – to simply follow the “rules” – is timeless, even for Catholics during Lent. 

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Over the course of these forty days, the Church encourages us to pray, fast, and give alms. But like the scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus rebukes in today’s Gospel, we can do all of these things without ever changing our heart.

We can avoid meat on Fridays while still harboring a grudge.

We can write a check without ever seeking contact with the poor.

We can pray for strangers while remaining estranged from loved ones. 

Missing a meal or checking a box will not turn us into Saints. We must walk the path of humility and love in order to please the Lord.

As the Lord cries out through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading, “Wash yourselves clean! [Cleanliness is a matter of the heart.] Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.”

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Only when we allow God to change our hearts, will we be holy and pleasing in his sight.

What might that look like for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) JewishBoston (3) Bible Study Tools

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Gospel: Luke 6: 36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If you have ever played a video game, then you know that there is always a series of levels.

The first level is the easiest, and the final level is the hardest. Sometimes it takes multiple tries before you succeed in beating that final level.

But if you do, then you’ve mastered the game.

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If Christianity were likened to a video game, then today’s Gospel would be part of that final level: stop judging; stop condemning; forgive without limit; love relentlessly.

If you can do these things, then you’ve mastered Christianity.

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Perhaps one of the most difficult steps is forgiveness. 

What makes it so hard is the fact that, when we forgive, we forfeit the right to be angry with a person, waiving all opportunities to play passive aggressive; to weaponize our silence; to “win” an argument; or to seek revenge.

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But if we can do this – if we can love without limit and freely forgive – then we’ve mastered Christianity.

It’s definitely worth a try. 

“For the measure with which you measure,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “will be measured out to you.”

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Image credits: (1) Mindful.org (2) The Jewish Link (3) Allan Swart, Pixels