The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, challenge us to a righteousness that is defined by compassion and obedience.
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| Being a father |
The reading from the Second Book of Samuel is 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
Psalm 89 narrates how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings.
* [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 reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans declares that God’s Promise is realized through Faith.
* [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 of Matthew describes the Birth of Jesus and Joseph’s compassion and obedience.
* [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
Rev. Richard Gabuzda comments that in Jesus, God has come to us in the flesh! Today’s Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Virgin Mary, offers us another window into that truth. In Luke’s gospel for today (second gospel) we read: “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them.”
This simple fact, expressed so quietly in today’s feast, invites us to look around at our own home today, to believe that, in all of its ordinariness and perhaps even obscurity, it is a home where God chooses to dwell each day. May we today, through the prayers of Joseph, rejoice in the nearness of God who once chose to live in a human home, and chooses to do so today as well.5
Don Schwager quotes “The character of Joseph,” from a homily by Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153.
"Joseph's character and qualities can be deduced from the fact that God honored him with the title of father, and, although his doing so was a mere matter of convenience, this was what he was known as and believed to be. Joseph's own name, which as you know means "increase", supplies further indications. Call to mind the great patriarch of old who was sold into Egypt, and you will realize that it was not only his name that our saint received but also his chastity, innocence, and grace. His brothers' envy had caused the earlier Joseph to be sold and taken to Egypt, thus symbolizing the selling of Christ: the later Joseph carried Christ into Egypt, fleeing before Herod's envy... The first Joseph had the gift of interpreting dreams: the second was given a revelation of the divine plan and a share in its accomplishment. Joseph the patriarch stored up grain, not for himself but for all the people: our Joseph was given custody of the living bread from heaven to keep safe both for himself and the whole world. There is no doubt that the Joseph to whom the Savior's mother was engaged was a good and faithful man. He was, I say, the wise and faithful steward whom the Lord appointed to support his mother and care for himself in childhood, singling him out for his complete reliability to help him with his momentous plan." (Hom. 2 super Missus est, 11.16: PL 183, 69-70)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 suggests that as we ponder today’s Gospel passage, let’s think about what Joseph could have done after he discovered that Mary was pregnant. He could have told everyone in Bethlehem about it. He could have gotten very angry and embarrassed her publicly. Why didn’t he?
Let’s focus on the word “quietly.” We can surmise that being quiet was a characteristic of Joseph—after all, he is never quoted in the Gospels! He probably spent hours alone at his carpenter’s bench, silent and intent on his work. Scripture also tells us that he was a righteous man, someone who listened to God and humbly followed him. So even though he didn’t understand what was happening with Mary, he stayed quiet and didn’t lose his cool. He could have focused on himself as the injured party and tried to draw sympathy from his neighbors. Instead, he sought to act in a way that was not only charitable but also upheld the dignity of Mary.
Today we have many opportunities to gripe about various injustices or troubling situations. Social media even provides us with a megaphone of sorts to make our voices heard. It’s very easy to lash out without thinking, but Joseph shows us that we don’t have to succumb to such temptations. We can take the time to reflect on the situation and then act with discretion and tact.7
Friar Jude Winkler relates the history around the promise of the Davidic Dynasty. Compassion and obedience define the righteousness of Joseph evolving from strict observance of the Law. Friar Jude notes that Luke uses a bookend technique of two times Jesus is doing the work of His Father.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a few days ago he was encouraged by the Franciscans and by the leadership team at the CAC to self-quarantine, so he has been in his little hermitage now for three or four days. Fr. Richard comments that we are in the midst of a highly teachable moment. There’s no doubt that this period will be referred to for the rest of our lifetimes. We have a chance to go deep, and to go broad. Globally, we’re in this together. Depth is being forced on us by great suffering, which as he likes to say, always leads to great love.
But for God to reach us, we have to allow suffering to wound us. Now is no time for an academic solidarity with the world. Real solidarity needs to be felt and suffered. That’s the real meaning of the word “suffer” – to allow someone else’s pain to influence us in a real way. We need to move beyond our own personal feelings and take in the whole. This, I must say, is one of the gifts of television: we can turn it on and see how people in countries other than our own are hurting. What is going to happen to those living in isolated places or for those who don’t have health care? Imagine the fragility of the most marginalized, of people in prisons, the homeless, or even the people performing necessary services, such as ambulance drivers, nurses, and doctors, risking their lives to keep society together? Our feelings of urgency and devastation are not exaggeration: they are responding to the real human situation. We’re not pushing the panic button; we are the panic button. And we have to allow these feelings, and invite God’s presence to hold and sustain us in a time of collective prayer and lament.
I hope this experience will force our attention outwards to the suffering of the most vulnerable. Love always means going beyond yourself to otherness. It takes two. There has to be the lover and the beloved. We must be stretched to an encounter with otherness, and only then do we know it’s love. This is what we call the subject-subject relationship. Love alone overcomes fear and is the true foundation that lasts (1 Corinthians 13:13).8
The fruit of great love is seen in our compassion, mercy, and generosity to others. Let Saint Joseph be a guide for us.
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