St. Joseph

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Within any relationship, there is bound to be some kind of suffering.  It is usually because of some misunderstandings.  It can happen within marriage relationships.  It can even happen to the best of friendships.  These can be called Passions.  We get the word Passion from the Latin word Passio which means suffering.  It is how we get the Passion of the Christ. 

When Joseph discovered that his wife is pregnant without his own doing, he wanted to divorce her quietly.  He wanted to part ways from her.  If he did so publicly, she would be stoned according to law and traditions.  Since he was a righteous and just man, he wanted to spare her life.  The word righteousness means being in right relationship with God or to be observant to God’s teachings and commandments.  The word Just means to give the other their due.  But Joseph can also be described as a holy man.  How do we know if someone is holy.  Fr. Bill McCarthy explains simply that we can always tell a person is a holy person because they love intensely.  They have a great love for God and neighbor.  Even before the Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, Joseph was already a holy person.  It is conveyed by wanting to spare the life of his beloved wife.

What people usually miss when they hear this reading proclaim is this; The amount of anguish on the part of Joseph.  He loved his wife dearly.  Parting from her nearly broke his heart.  This was not an easy decision for him.  If Mary found someone else, he wanted her to be happy and wanted her to be with this new person.  Some people may get the impression that he was so mean for wanting to divorce the Blessed Mother.  But he only wanted her to be happy.

The problem was that he didn’t ask her what had happened.  The blessed Mother didn’t reveal the pregnancy to Joseph because it was not yet the appointed time.  There was much anguish within their relationship.  This is described as their First Passion.  There will be more Passions for the Blessed Mother, and the greatest one will be when her crucified son is put into her arms. 

Although it is not written in the Gospel, but we can imagine the reconciliation within their relationship shortly after this first Passion.  Joseph, now understood that it was the Holy Spirit that has overshadow her, or covered her, (Old Testament image) because she bears within her the New Covenant, which means that she is the Ark or the container; just like the container in the Old Testament that contained the Tablets of the Ten Commandments, the Staff of Moses, and Manna in a jar.  These are all signs of the Covenant between God and the Chosen people.

What usually happens when we make a mistake?  We apologize.  That is what St. Joseph does to the Blessed Mother.  She too apologizes for not telling him.  This is to convey their virtue of humility.  Humility is after making a mistake, we need to undo the wrong by humbly apologizing.  There was a mutual apology between Joseph and Mary to model for us the virtue of humility.  Without humility, it can lead to further pride, compounding pride with further pride, and creates further isolation within relationships.  Humility helps us to see our sins, and also tears down tension within any relationship. 

One other factor that we often miss, and I think people tend to dismiss the Blessed Mother from their faith has to do with this powerful love story.  We all are attracted to Love Stories.  Many people spend three hours or more watching Titanic.  Many watch daytime soap operas, or other movies about love.  As people with deep faith and hope and love, I would venture to say that you all deep down understand that this is a love story, and one of the most powerful love story in the world.  Our traditions to preserve this love story, but sometimes it gets lost in the Translation.

For instance, the reason why we have grottos for the Blessed Mother is a very simple one.  When she was living with Joachim and Anne, there was a grotto at their home.  It was a place for them to go where is quiet and cool away from the scorching heat.  When Joseph took the Blessed Mother into his home, he too built a grotto for her, so that she can be comfortable and rest.  He did that to make it an easier transition for her.  And because he loved her so much.  When people build a grotto for the Blessed Mother, it is to re-live the love story of Joseph and Mary.

When we crown her with flowers in the month of May, it is also to re-live the love story.  When Mary was betrothed to Joseph, at the Temple of Jerusalem, he presented her with a crown of daisies.  You can also imagine her blushing a little bit.  Our traditions are to retell and relive this wonderful love story, and learn how to respect and revere each other as a gift, just like this holy Family.  St. Joseph, pray for us.