Today is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the Husband of the Blessed Virgin, Mary and the Foster-Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
During mass today our Gospel readings were:
1:16and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
and
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
1:20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
1:21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.
1:24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife;
Saint Joseph is considered as many as "Joseph the Silent", which by Father Peter Fagan OP homily he explains. We know that Jesus Christ our Savior is of divine nature, but he was also of human nature and as Father Peter said, "what marvelous human example than that of Saint Joseph." So the human nature of Jesus had the ability to learn, unlike his divine nature for his divine nature he was all-knowing (he knows all). Saint Joseph is to the mind of the church and Father Peter and I as the man that taught Jesus to be a Man. He taught him skills and manners that a man should know.
We know very little of this "righteous man" but we know that he was more than anyone for I remember when reading the Gospel of Matthew thinking, 'this is a true man who respects and loves and cherishes' for he did not ever wish to shame Mary, so to save her from her shame he was going to divorce her quietly and to my mind I think he would if he had done that helped her through the difficulties. He is just pictured as that type of man.
Another thing which Father Peter mentioned is he is always pictured as a old man because he died before Jesus began his public ministry. But we are not sure of that. And to some it made more sense for Mary to be marrying a older man for it was safer for a older man to respect the dignity of Mary. Father Peter rebukes that and says (I am paraphrasing this) "I would like to say that he was a young man closer to the age of Mary." Which I see him as such because a younger man would that not mean that he could be a example for those young men who wish to sin against the dignity of women?
Saint Joseph is also the protector of the Church. "He raises the church in his strong arms like he held the child Jesus," says Father Peter. Father Peter ends the homily with this line: "We ask him to strengthen us as he strengthens the universal church."
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