Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

Entrance to Saint Anthony's Church
Angola Indiana
The windows were preserved from
from the original church. 

O Adonai, et dux domus Israel,
qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home. 


The Church has reflected upon this gospel story about Joseph for many centuries and still we find more to ponder. Joseph, the husband of Mary, strongly resembles his ancestor, Joseph the son of Jacob and Rachel, the great-grandson of Abraham and Sarah. Both are dreamers and interpreters of dreams, they go to Egypt and return; they are politically savvy. And both Josephs are models of fidelity and wisdom. As Mary is the prototypical Christian in the Gospel of Saint Luke, Joseph is the model Christian in Saint Matthew’s gospel.
Joseph is the wise man “who listens to these words of mine and acts on them.” A devout Jew who lives his life by the Law of Moses, he is no blind observer of religious doctrines. Rather, when he is confronted by a difficult situation – Mary’s mysterious pregnancy – he ponders and prays and does nothing rash. If necessary he might “divorce her quietly” but he will prefer to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. Humility does not rush to judgment. Finally, an angel appears as he is sleeping and explains the mystery. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, “her son will save his people from their sins” and “you should name his Jesus.” Joseph hears the word of God and does it. 
Joseph honors the mother of Jesus. She appears in this gospel as an object of veneration. Having decided to welcome Mary into his home, he will protect “the child with Mary his mother” through hair-raising adventures. We will hear the phrase the child and his mother five times in the second chapter. The words seem to represent the child and mother as a kind of icon, bound together by the frames of the story, as the Saint carries them back and forth.
His silence is also remarkable. There is not one recorded word of Saint Joseph in the Bible. He hears the word of God and he does it. He doesn't need to talk about it, or persuade anyone else of his righteousness. 
As we reflect on Saint Joseph, welcoming his patronage, praying with him for guidance and courage in our lives, we honor the God who is with us and the woman who bore him in her arms.