[Abraham] is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St. Joseph.” It is a wonderful opportunity to increase our love for St. Joseph and knowledge, “to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal. (USCCB)
Six days before the Annunciation and conception of Jesus, we celebrate Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary. Though he appears only in very brief sections of the gospels of Saint Matthew and Saint Luke, and although no word of his was recorded, the foster father of Jesus, inspires many rich and deep reflections.
Saint Matthew offers him to us as a model of fidelity. The gospel insists that we must hear the Word of God and keep it, and that is precisely what Joseph does. He presents a strong contrast to the King of Jerusalem, Herod the Great, who is the epitome of hypocrisy. Where Herod's words chill our bones, Joseph's silence warms our hearts. Saint Matthew gives us few details about the visit of the Magi, but it's no stretch to suppose they spoke with Joseph of their experience in Jerusalem. While they found a way to avoid returning to the Holy City, he woke his wife in the middle of the night and hurried off to Egypt.
Today's reading from Romans concerns the Patriarch Abraham but applies easily to Joseph. The faithful, silent man is the patriarch of the New Testament, as Mary is the matriarch.
Neither the Evangelist nor the Church hesitates to accord him the title of father. The cavil that he was not the biological father of Jesus is a problem only to a sexually-obsessed generation; and, thank God, most generations of the Church were not.
Mother Theresa of Calcutta has reminded Christians of the world that we are not called to be successful, but faithful. She might add, in the Spirit of Joseph, we don't have to understand why things happen as they do, or why God does what God does. Our obedience is more valuable than our ideas about why things happen or where this is all going.
Certainly, faithful fathers and mothers cannot explain everything they decide for their children. Inevitably they must say to the child who rejects every plausible explanation, "Because I said so!" And even as they do so, they hope and pray they're right in doing so. We keep the faith with or without an understanding of how this will end, or where this is going.
Certainly, in this third year of Covid, we do not yet know what we must learn from the experience. If our scientists have better a understanding of viral diseases, the rest of us have only a better understanding of entrenched obstinacy. Some of us, we pray, know that we should care better for one another, particularly our elderly.
Finally, because there is no end of wonderful reflections about Saint Joseph, I'll direct my readers to the website of the American Catholic Bishops, and especially Bishop Tyson's reflections.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.