The Righteousness That Comes from Faith

March 19, 2010

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By Melanie Rigney

The Lord spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David … “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me: your throne shall stand firm forever.” (2 Samuel 7:4-5, 16)

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: “Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (Psalms 89:4-5)

It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. (Romans 4:13)

When … Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”(Matthew 1:18-21)

Piety

Gracious Saint Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen. (Author unknown)

Study

We don’t know much about Saint Joseph. But we do know he was a protector—of David’s legacy; of his wife, Mary; and of Jesus and those who have followed him for the past two thousand years.

Mary’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy could have resulted in her stoning. But Joseph wasn’t out for blood. He was prepared to divorce her quietly. His faith in the Lord, fortified by an angelic visit, let him take her into his home despite the gossip.

Centuries later, the drought- and famine-stricken people of Sicily appealed to Joseph as their patron saint to alleviate their suffering. From that experience came the St. Joseph’s Day Altars with which you may be familiar if you’re of Italian or Polish ancestry or know people who are. (If you’re not, check out this Library of Congress photo of such an altar.) In the United States in the early 1900s, elaborate St. Joseph Tables groaning with grains and fruits and vegetables were not only a way to honor the saint, but also a way to take a swipe at the Irish. While St. Patrick’s Day two days earlier was a New Year’s celebration of sorts, St. Joseph’s was typically focused on the family and helping the poor. You’ll still see St. Joseph Tables in ethnic communities in cities such as Chicago and New York.

Some see Joseph as “one of us.” He wasn’t special by his birth, as were Jesus and Mary, as much as he was special by his faith and the way he lived it—quietly, without fanfare, but with passion and determination to take care of his family. It’s appropriate, then, that we remember him with two feast days—May 1 to honor him as the patron saint of workers, and today to honor him as Mary’s husband.

Action

Thank someone who has quietly protected you from physical, mental, or emotional harm.