The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, offer a look at the faith and righteousness associated with this head of the Holy Family.
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| Source: https://www.thinkingfaith.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_full_687/public/field/image/20141227_1HolyFamily.jpg?itok=7Mx2lZVD |
The 2nd Book of Samuel establishes the line of David through the Oracle of Nathan.
* [7:8–16] The message Nathan delivers to David, called the Dynastic Oracle, is prompted by David’s intention to build a house (i.e., a temple) for the Lord, like David’s own house (i.e., palace) of cedar. David is told, in effect, not to bother building a house for the Lord; rather, the Lord will make a house for him—a dynasty, the House of David. Not only will he have descendants (v. 12) who will sit upon the throne of Israel (v. 13), their rule will last forever (vv. 13, 16); and even if they transgress the Lord’s commands, the line of David will never be removed from kingship as Saul was (cf. 1 Sm 13; 15). The oracle establishes the Davidic king as standing in relationship to the Lord as a son to a father (v. 14; cf. Ps 2:7; 89:27). The Dynastic Oracle, with cognate texts in the Scriptures, is the basis for Jewish expectations of an anointed king (1 Sm 12:3, 5), son of David (Mt 21:9); cf. Acts 2:30; Heb 1:5.1
In Psalm 89 the Davidic king is the one to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens.
* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52).2
The Letter of Paul to the Romans exhorts us to understand our Inheritance through Faith in the example of Abraham.
* [4:1–25] This is an expanded treatment of the significance of Abraham’s faith, which Paul discusses in Gal 3:6–18; see notes there.3
The Gospel from Matthew tells of the role of the dream of Joseph in the Birth of Jesus.
* [1:18–25] This first story of the infancy narrative spells out what is summarily indicated in Mt 1:16. The virginal conception of Jesus is the work of the Spirit of God. Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own. The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph’s adoption the child belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Is 7:14.4
Mariana Miller comments that Joseph had cultivated a deep relationship with God throughout his life and was open to receive God’s gift of being the person who would help educate Jesus, the Messiah.
In this relationship, Joseph was not in control and this was fine because he trusted the One in control. He knew the Law given by God to God’s people, he was faithful to it, yet he was open to God’s surprise. The law was not a god for Joseph, just a means to God. Only God was God. His heart was open. He trusted in God’s faithfulness and held on tight to the angel’s words: “Don’t be afraid.”5
Anthony Towey wonders how the ‘greatest story ever told’ has acquired such a peaceful gloss, when in fact it is riddled with disturbance and uncertainty. We turn our gaze to two new parents and try to capture the faith, hope and love that sustained them in their turmoil.
But Joseph doesn’t believe it. I once remarked to a female friend that Joseph was a really good chap for not handing Mary over to the authorities to be dealt with. ‘Typical bloke!’ was the reply. ‘Sooner believe an angel in a dream than his own fiancée in real life!’ We are told that Joseph was a bit older (this being perhaps an explanation for why he isn’t around at the time of the Passion). Age does not normally help us with romance, but it delights me that a sign of the spirit is that even old folk can still dream (Acts 2:17). Joseph, like his namesake in Genesis, is a gifted dreamer. Hope in the future enables us to change in the present, and both Joseph and Mary exemplify faith in believing what should not be possible. Addicted as we are to control, predictability and (so-called) rationality, this radical dependency is the lived divinity of the poor that is so anxiously avoided by the rich.6
Friar Jude Winkler provides background to the change from a charismatic choice of king for Israel and the establishment of the dynasty of David. Abraham is the father of all who have faith. Friar Jude finds that the action of Joseph defines righteousness for us as obedience and compassion.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, points to a somewhat overlooked passage in the middle of Romans where Paul says, “The only thing that counts is not what human beings want or try to do [that’s the first half of life], but the mercy of God [that’s the second half of life]” (Romans 9:16). But we only realize this is true in the second half of life. We had to do the wanting and the trying and the achieving and the self-promoting and the accomplishing. The first half of life is all about some kind of performance principle. And it seems that it must be this way. We have to do it wrong before we know what right might be.
But this wisdom only comes later, when we’ve learned to listen to the different voices that guide us in the second half of life.
These deeper voices will sound like risk, trust, surrender, uncommon sense, destiny, love. They will be the voices of an intimate stranger, a voice that’s from somewhere else, and yet it’s my deepest self at the same time. It’s the still, small voice that the prophet Elijah slowly but surely learned to hear (see 1 Kings 19:11-13).7
Our relationship with God, in contemplation, conversation, openness to intuition, prayer, and dream is our guide to the obedience and compassion that mark what right might be.
References
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(n.d.). 2 Samuel, chapter 7 - usccb. Retrieved March 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/7
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(n.d.). Romans, chapter 4 - usccb. Retrieved March 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/4
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(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 1 - usccb. Retrieved March 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1
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(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved March 19, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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(2014, December 26). Jesus: Who Do You Think You Are? 6. Mary and Joseph - Thinking Faith. Retrieved March 19, 2019, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/jesus-who-do-you-think-you-are-6-mary-and-joseph
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(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved March 19, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/
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