Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness, (Ps 89:2)

the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, … it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift (Rom 4:13, 16)

(Joseph) was a righteous man … he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him (Mtt 1: 19, 24)

Piety

God, Almighty Creator and vulnerable Babe in one, we look to your beloved servant Joseph. His humble surrender and unfaltering dedication stands as a light on a hill for us who are sometimes lost, selfish and unsure. As we enjoy his protection on earth may we have the help of his prayers in heaven. May his “yes” to you, God, be our “yes” as well.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/031907.shtml

A sense of the longevity and dimension of our spiritual inheritance comes through the readings today: through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. And what a beautiful figure carries this power and truth: St. Joseph. Today is his feast, the patron of the Church Universal.

Today carpenters, engineers, families, and workers call St. Joseph their patron. Joseph is associated with hospitality. (He apparently will help you sell your house as well.) He is intercessory for a happy death and our interior souls. Also, he is patron of several countries: Belgium, Canada, China.

Through Joseph and Mary, as in the psalm, a generation “proclaimed the faithfulness of the Lord”.

Joseph studied, prayed and was observant in his faith. Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. (Luke 2:41) He obeyed the law of Moses: since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly (Mtt 1:19). But when God asked him to act outside the law, he took the leap of faith that many of his spiritual forefathers and mothers had done before him and which Paul addresses: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham … but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith... (Rom 4:13).

He listened for the will of God and acted, perhaps without understanding and in the face of contemporary pressures. His humility is a potent statement of trust in God. A modern song speaks to his leap of faith and humbleness. “How could it be?...Father, let this baby be son of my love ….Father, show me how I fit into this plan of Yours. How can a simple man be father to the Son of God?” (Joseph’s Song)

Joseph loved tenderly and wholly as a father is asked to do – as we are asked to do. Can we not imagine that some of Jesus’ deep tenderness came from the model of his earthly father with whom he lived each day of his young life?

Action

In what way does my mouth proclaim the faithfulness of the Lord? Can I summon up the unquestioning tenderness and steadfast courage of Joseph to love and do the will of God, and welcome each person God puts into my life? Call on Joseph today for his strong, persevering protection and inspiration.

Go to http://www.patrickmulhern.com/ and listen to a clip from Patrick Mulhern’s “Joseph’s Song” (His Gift album) for a taste of a beautiful reflection on St. Joseph.

DeColores

Beth DeCristofaro