Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary(Click here for readings)
By FR ALFONSE NAZZARO
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother 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...
You just won the Lottery! Imagine for a moment winning the Lottery! What would you do with all that money? Would you buy a brand new house - heck - a mansion?! Would you buy a yacht and sail around the world?
Well, what happened to St. Joseph is somewhat similar to winning the lottery. After all, he was chosen by God to be the father of His most beloved Son. What prize could be greater than that? (I know, being Immaculate and the mother of the Son of God!).
What an honor, right? Good old Joseph. Would the world come to fear him? Would he turn his humble home into a museum and gift shop? Would he sign autographs, give tours to outsiders, and generate income for residents living in Bethlehem and Nazareth? Would he turn his vocation into a business?
Even better...Would he ask his son to do some insider trading for him?
If St. Joseph ever entertained fantasies of "capitalizing" or "profiting" from God's beautiful design and plan for humanity, then I am confident the Lord's angel, who was always sent to him in the middle of the night to startle him and get him moving, did a phenomenal job in crushing them!
It's time to crush our dreams and reach for the heavens!
Beautiful, not glamorous. There was nothing glamorous or fairy talish about being the husband of Mary and the adopted father of the King of Kings. It was all hard work! It was all very demanding work.
It was a 24/7 responsibility.
Winning this "lottery ticket" meant getting up and fleeing for dear life! It meant moving from one country to another, and still providing for the family while on the run! It meant keeping your mouth shut when being insulted by family, friends and strangers. This "amazing" calling from God meant that only God could ever know. No one else.
Hence, this calling required an amazing amount of faith, hope and love.
Why do we honor Joseph today? Because he was a saint! And what does it mean to be a saint? It means to live a beautiful, and not necessarily glamorous, life.
There is nothing very glamorous about changing diapers, washing clothes, preparing meals (including lunches), paying bills and driving all over the place...for your kids!
But it is beautiful.
There is nothing glamorous about the crucifix.
But it is beautiful.
St. Joseph did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do. What else could anyone ever ask for?
St. Joseph, pray for us!
I never thought about Joseph capitalizing on his son's divinity, but I can see how that could've been the case. Compare that with the father's of some celebrities, like Michael Jackson or Brain Wilson, and Joseph's quiet reserve deserves more credit than people care to give.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, we shouldn't simply attribute Jesus' superior wisdom and kindness to only His divine nature. His parents, Mary and Joseph, instructed Him and served as models. He knows because they taught Him. Jesus' wisdom comes as much from prayer as it does from is parents; to ignore this would offend God's providence and the two greatest saints in the Christian tradition.
Thank you for shining a light on St. Joseph.
ReplyDeleteIn our world today, any emphasis on a great role model for fathers is very much needed.