Like Joseph

The text in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah speaks of the action of God to raise a righteous shoot of David. This leader of the Hebrew people will rule with justice and righteousness. Jewish scholars have explored the nature of righteousness as understood from the Hebrew Bible. The quality of being righteous is "ẓaddiḳim". Friar Jude Winkler attributes this character to Joseph, husband of Mary, who is a man, rabbis might describe as one with the inclination to do good. As a person on the boundary of the Hebrew and Christian revelations of God, Joseph was formed as a righteous shoot of David in whom Matthew recognizes the compassion of God which in the works of Jeremiah and Isaiah is presented as God caring for His children. The act of Joseph to decide to quietly divorce Mary and his subsequent attention to a dream revelation from God which resonated with his experience of God as Father and how the scriptures opened the believer to the will of God is evidence of the righteous man who practices compassion directed by God. Joseph has been recognized in Roman Catholic culture as a great figure to protect and make things right. He appears as patron saint of many groups dedicated to healing of body and mind. The Oratory of St Joseph in Montreal celebrates the simple and devoted action of Saint Andre of Montreal in invoking St Joseph as protector and healer. Recently Pope Francis inserted mention of Joseph in the words prayed during the celebration of Eucharist. People of the faith and trust of Joseph live today in our communities quietly attending to putting it right while trusting that the road to peace, joy and fullness is through the mission to make Love present in our lives.