Friday, March 19, 2021

 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 (II Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

 Pope Francis has proclaimed this year as the Jubilee Year of St. Joseph.  Although relatively little is written about him in the gospels, he is being treated with the same reverence as St. Paul!  People may wonder why, given the fact that not only is little said about St. Joseph, but he never utters a word in all Scripture.  Yet he facilitated the incarnation and our salvation by giving Jesus and Mary a home.  It is instructive to imagine what Joseph brought to that home.

 First, he was open to life.  Joseph not only accepted Jesus as a foster son; he also sheltered and nourished the Son of God.  He allowed himself to contemplate the glory of God by watching Jesus grow in his midst.  Joseph also must have prayed constantly.  The statement that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream implies that he was always thinking about God.  Dreams are often extensions of conscious life where hopes and fears are played out.  Joseph, called a righteous man in the gospel, probably prayed that he might serve the Lord.  Finally, Joseph no doubt instilled the human values of workmanship in his home.  He taught Jesus mindfulness in preparing the job at hand, diligence in pursuing its excellence, and patience in finishing a product.  Jesus was a more capable preacher and leader because of Joseph’s tutelage.

 In this Jubilee Year of St. Joseph, we can pray for his intercession with our needs.  He knew the human situation, its limits, and its difficulties.  Turning to him, we can count on his support to move us beyond our little world of self into the unbounded love of God.  Doing so, we will complete works that are helpful to others and meritorious for us.

 

 

Monday, March 19, 2018

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(II Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

Christians today do not mean to impose their faith on society.  But they do hope to “inculturate” the faith.  This strange but not unfamiliar word (to Catholics, at least) means to create an atmosphere that facilitates the practice of the faith.  Faith is inculturated when there are “Good Samaritan” laws to protect from litigation someone who assists a stranger in great danger.  Another example of inculturation is the dedication of a moment for prayer before a public event.  Unfortunately, in many places where Christianity once was prominent inculturation has been eroded by decidedly secular tendencies.  An example of counter-inculturation is the depenalization of abortion.

Inculturation is related to St. Joseph Day because Joseph assured that Jesus was raised in a religious atmosphere.  Hopefully, I do not stretch the meaning of the word too far by saying that Joseph provided not just the basic material resources and a Davidic patrimony for Jesus but also a sense of what it means to be Jewish.  It is possible that this might not have happened if Jesus were an orphan or grew up in the streets.

Joseph, as today’s reading from Romans suggests, is a model of faith.  He believed God’s revelation that Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit when he accepted her into his home and supported her and her son Jesus.  We should look to St. Joseph to intercede for us.  As one who received the special favor of being named the foster-father of Jesus and of carrying out the role diligently, he will have influence on our behalf before the Almighty.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(II Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

Boo Radley is the minor hero of the epic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not seen much and says little if anything.  However, when the children of the protagonist, a virtuous lawyer, are threatened by a disgruntled drunkard, Radley intercedes to save their lives.  Although it may seem a bit irreverent, we might picture St. Joseph in a similar role.

Interestingly, St. Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, does not say a word in any of the four gospels and is only mentioned in three.  Yet he is universally known for being both just and loving.  His righteousness is displayed by his not wanting to embarrass Mary when he discovers that she is with child.  He exhibits the human virtues of courage and prudence as he races Mary and Jesus to Egypt upon hearing of Herod’s plan to kill all male children of the region.  The evangelist Luke further records how Mary commends Joseph’s loving concern as she mentions that he, as much as she, was anxiously looking for Jesus when the lad is found with the teachers in the Temple.

St. Joseph serves as a model for men, especially fathers, in a world that is losing its sense of masculine virtue.  He also shows all of us the priority of expressing love for others with faithful presence and self-sacrificing action over the often misleading use of words.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

(Jeremiah 23:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25)

Six months ago Pope Francis made a subtle change in the Mass.   A Vatican decree, authorized by the pope, mandated the inclusion of “blessed Joseph, (her) spouse” after mention of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Eucharistic Prayer.  The decree said that Saint Joseph was so kind and humble that he serves as a model for all men.  With all respect to the Vatican, another quality of Joseph may be specified which seems even more significant.  As the gospel reading today makes clear, Joseph was a “righteous man.”

One has to know the context of the situation to appreciate the righteousness of St. Joseph.  He almost certainly paid a dowry to marry the Virgin Mary.  So when he hears of her pregnancy, he has the right to divorce her in public in order to reclaim his offering.  However, before the angel in his dream tells him that Mary has conceived by the Holy Spirit, Joseph decides to divorce her in secret.  His righteousness does not permit him to expose Mary to public disgrace from an open hearing.  In this way Joseph not only complies with the letter of the law but also fulfills its spirit.  For the purpose of the law is to make a person as merciful as God.  In the Sermon on the Mount, delivered later in the same Gospel of Matthew, Jesus will command his disciples to be perfect as God.  Here Joseph exemplifies how this is done.

We live in an era when the world seeks justice with the claiming of rights.  Seeing the subhuman condition in which many people live, this effort cannot be trivialized.  But often the claims of some people clash with those of others to such an extent that it is impossible to determine whose is greater.  Do the poor in underdeveloped countries have more right to emigrate than the people in their countries of destination have right to maintain good order within their borders.  Or does a family in the United States have more right to a second car than a family in Tanzania to a motorcycle?  Questions such as these are nearly impossible to adjudicate, and it is often harder to implement the judgments once made.  To go beyond the impasse we have to let go of some of our rights claims.  In other words, we have to sacrifice ourselves for the good of all.  To do so is not a regular function of human nature; it is the product of God’s grace.  It is true.  Justice is the product of grace. 

Tuesday, May 1, 2102

Memorial of Saint Joseph, the worker (Genesis 1:26-2:3; Matthew 13:54-58) When Blessed John Paul II published his encyclical on human work in 1981, one moralist criticized the document as too optimistic. The critic indicated that calling humans God’s “co-creators,” as the pope did, borders on pretentiousness. However, while it is true that God transcends anything that a human might conceive let alone do, the reading from Genesis today does declare the human person as formed in the divine image. Right after the passage speaks of humans as like God, it begins a remarkable series of blessings. God grants them dominion over other inhabitants of land, sea, and sky. They are to use nature to serve their needs. Such a task requires know-how and energy – the qualities of workers. Today, May 1, in most places is their day. We thank God for the workers of the world. Their ingenuity and effort are making life increasingly less burdensome while providing more bountiful opportunities to develop human potential. St. Joseph capably represents workers. Matthew’s gospel especially portrays him as a just man who loves his family. A carpenter by profession, he probably fabricated houses and furniture for the benefit of ordinary people. He serves all of us as a model as well as an intercessor. He knows our tiredness after working a full day. He also understands our aspirations of a better life for ourselves and our families.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(II Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

Boo Radley is a minor hero of the epic novel of the American South, To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not seen much and says little if anything. However, when the children of the protagonist (a virtuous lawyer whose character is unforgettably played by Gregory Peck in the movie version) are threatened by a disgruntled drunkard, Radley intercedes to save their lives. Although it may seem a bit irreverent, we might picture St. Joseph in a similar role.

Interestingly, St. Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, does not say a word in any of the four gospels and is only mentioned in three. Yet he is universally known for being both just and loving. His righteousness is displayed by his not wanting to embarrass Mary when he discovers that she is with child. Commentators note that this forbearance would have cost him the dowry which he might have reclaimed. He exhibits care for Mary and Jesus as he races them to Egypt when Herod threatens to kill all male children of the area. The evangelist Luke further records how Mary commends Joseph’s loving concern as she mentions that he, as much as she, was anxiously looking for Jesus when the lad is found with the teachers in the Temple.

St. Joseph serves as a model for men, especially fathers, and also for men and women introverts who express love more with righteous presence and courageous action rather than with the often ambiguous phenomenon of words.

Homilette for Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(II Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

An exquisite picture of St. Joseph hangs in the Louvre Museum of Paris. Painted by the French master, Georges de La Tour, the painting shows an old but powerful Joseph next to Jesus as a boy of six or seven years. Jesus is holding a candle but at the same time seems to radiate his own light. Joseph is bowed over his carpentry, but he also may be indicating his submission to Jesus, his son and Lord. The painting portrays all the grace intimated in today’s gospel.

The gospel of Matthew describes Joseph as “righteous.” This means that he observes the Jewish law. But Joseph’s righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees as Jesus will later demand of his disciples. When he learns that Mary is pregnant, he does not make a public case against her so that he might retain her dowry but plans to “divorce her quietly.”

Interfering with his plan, the angel tells Joseph to give Mary and her son a home. In doing so, he bestows on Jesus both a name and a royal lineage – very significant theological concerns. For most of us, however, Joseph stands out more for his example of virtue. He humbly surrenders to God’s will. He works diligently at his trade. He provides for his family. And, most amazing in our age that so glorifies sex, he does not seek physical intimacy with his wife.