The scripture readings for today can be found at Friday of the Third Week of Advent | USCCB
In our gospel for today we hear of Joseph, the spouse of Mary, and his first reaction to hearing the news that she was pregnant. The first thought that came to his mind when he found out that Mary was pregnant was that she was unfaithful. Under Jewish law he could have had her put to death by stoning, but instead, since he loved Mary, he was unwilling to expose her to shame and decided to divorce her quietly. I’m sure he must have felt hurt and betrayed that the woman he loved became pregnant by someone else other than him. But he wasn’t going to allow these hurt feelings effect his love for Mary.
Joseph, being a righteous and devout man, was open to the promptings and Will of God. Joseph was privileged to have been approached by an angel through a dream, and it was there that he found out the true nature of the child that Mary was carrying. Being obedient to God he took Mary into his home and accepted the responsibility of caring for the Child Jesus. By doing so, he was saying “Yes” to God in much the same way Mary said “Yes” to God through the angel Gabriel when she found out that she was to be the mother of the Savior. Joseph was to be part of salvation history by being the foster father of the Lord Jesus. He knew there will be problems and issues in doing so, but he acted out of love and obedience towards God to do what was needed to be done.
Throughout scripture there are no words spoken by Joseph. In today’s gospel, we hear of his concern about Mary being pregnant, followed by his desire to divorce her quietly. Then we hear of him seeing an angel in his dreams telling him of the Child Jesus. No words were attributed to Joseph, but he responds in a way that shows great faith in God. He is a man of action and is willing to do what God needs him to do to protect Mary and the Child Jesus.
Joseph is so important that Pope Francis named 2021 as the Year of St. Joseph. Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.
As we enter into the final week of Advent, and prepare for the birth of Jesus, let us try to live in imitation of Joseph whose entire life was in devotion to Jesus and to His Mother Mary.
Lord Jesus, help us to share with those in our lives that you are Emmanuel, God with us.
Amen, may we be as faithful to God as Joseph was! May we honor God with our words, in our thoughts, through our deeds and actions!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see your blog post.
ReplyDeleteYes, it must have been hard for both Mary & Joseph. How could Mary explain to Joseph what seemed unbelievable & how could Joseph believe, if Mary had tried to explain, what seemed incredible!
St. Joseph, like the patriarch Joseph whose name he bore, received his revelations from the LORD in dreams, both the reassurance that Mary's Child was conceived of the Holy Spirit & he was to serve as the foster father of JESUS & chaste spouse of Mary, & then when he was called to Glee to Egypt with Mary & the CHILD JESUS to protect them. Joseph was indeed a man of action & of unquestioning obedience to the revelations he received in dreams! He certainly did have great faith!
There is a very beautiful song that is a reflection of Joseph as he held Baby JESUS I his arms. It is called JOSEPH'S SONG & it was written & sung by Michael Card, a wonderful contemporary Christian singer/songwriter/musician.
I suppose you mean to "flee" to Egypt, rather than "Glee" to Egypt! :-)
DeleteFrom an email: As I have come to understand and accept the identity and role of St. Joseph in biblical history, he evidently was predestined as the chosen foster father of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, and as the faithful husband to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus. His attributes are: a hard-working carpenter and diligent provider, a protector of the Holy Family (comprised of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and himself, the head of household). St. Joseph has been presented as a very humble, holy and quiet man (short with words), but, a very compassionate and just man. His concern was to be a faithful protector of his family, just with his neighbors, and devout in his love for God as a true follower of His commandments. Deacon, you pointed out how St. Joseph dealt with the dilemma concerning his espoused wife, (the Virgin Mary's sudden pregnancy), and his decision to secretly divorce her rather than to bring shame and harm upon her, publicly. His plan was stopped by the message he received in a dream, in which he was told not to go ahead with his plans concerning the pregnancy of Mary, but to accept her in marriage, as the situation and reason of the Virgin Mary's pregnancy was explained to him. May we come to recognize the blessings that God has in store for all who fear the Lord: accepting Him with that same total faith as the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph did with their fiat to His word; and accept Jesus Christ as the only true source of Peace, Love and Joy in our lives, which He came to bring us by His birth on that glorious night, which we now celebrate every year, on Christmas Night. Glory and Praise be to our God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all, N. V. , OCDS