Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 543

It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,


Although we are most seriously dedicated to Lent and the passage through Holy Week to Easter, we can't ignore the calendar that announces Christmas just nine months away. The Feast of the Annunciation wants to fall on Good Friday; and that's out of the question, of course, so we'll put that feast off until the second Monday after Easter. 

But there is still the Solemnity of Saint Joseph; he must enter the story before Mary does so that she can be at least betrothed if not married to somebody when she conceives the Messiah! And so we squeeze in this feast day, happily on the 19th of March, the day before Palm Sunday. 

The story of Joseph, found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, is rich will allusions. He is modeled after the Patriarch Joseph, the great-grandson of Abraham. That intrepid fellow dreamed and interpreted dreams, went down to Egypt, maintained his virginity, and provided for the Chosen People. Unlike his great grandfather, he never had a vision or audition with God. He had only his dreams for guidance, his integrity and his wits. 

The husband of Mary also trusted his dreams, was "married" to the ever virgin Mary, went down to Egypt and back to Nazareth, and provided for the nascent Church of Jesus and Mary. Like his ancestor he was a sharp observer of the political moment; he trusted his dreams and his common sense as he elected not to move back to Bethlehem. 

But we don't celebrate what he did as much as what he was, a faithful believer. He graciously received the gift of the Messiah, not through the law which might have stoned Mary, but through faith in God's word which declared her innocence and the Child's mission. 

Saint Matthew insists that Joseph was "a righteous man." That comes not by deeds but by one's trust in God. 

How often do we meet abrasive people who really do have good intentions and do a lot of good deeds but their "issues" give them away. They don't seem to believe that God has loved them since the very beginning; they're still trying to prove their worth when God has found them worthy a long time ago. They are often defensive because they fear they're not being judged rightly; they need to tell us every good deed they've ever done, and boast of all their trophies. 

Saint Joseph says nothing; his acts of faith speak for themselves. 

Receiving Mary and Jesus, Joseph receives the gift of righteousness. He will live by that principle without "white knuckling" his virtue. There is no strain in his goodness although it takes great courage. He simply does the right thing because it is the right thing. Making sacrifices is much easier for one who expects to make sacrifices, and Joseph knew that as soon as he received Mary into his home. 

With his silence to guide us now, we enter Holy Week.