"The Dream of Saint Joseph," Anonymous, Italian, first half of the 18th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art/Open Access
Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 18, 2022
Readings:
Is 7:10–14
Ps 24:1–2, 3–4, 5–6
Rom 1:1–7
Mt 1:18–24
By Fr. Kenneth M. Dos Santos, MIC
“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.”1
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we contemplate these words of the angel of the Lord, who appeared to St. Joseph in a dream, bearing the message that it is through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. That “[s]he will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”2 This knowledge granted that St. Joseph’s heart be at peace with the idea of taking Mary, his wife, into his home.
Mary was found with child, during the period of time that she and St. Joseph were betrothed to each other, but had not — as yet — lived together. According to ancient Jewish marriage custom, to be betrothed was to enter into a marriage covenant. This established that the man betrothed was legally married to the woman. The betrothal reserved this young woman to this particular man, though the woman would remain living with her father for a year or more before the day of the actual marriage ceremony. This covenant was considered so binding that one had to contract a divorce to be released from the betrothal.
Righteous man
At the beginning of the passage, it states that St. Joseph was a righteous man. He was a man of great faith, a man who loved God and followed in all His ways. Then why does the Gospel passage go on to state that “since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly”?3 We receive an answer to this question, when we consider the Greek text of this passage. Specifically, that the Greek word apolusai has also been translated into English: separate from or dismiss, instead of the word divorce, the word selected for the English translation of the New American Bible.
St. Joseph, a devout Jew, obedient to the will of God, was awaiting the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah, as were the rest of the Jews. He had known Mary to be an extraordinary woman of faith, a woman who radiated holiness, a unique holiness that was not found elsewhere in those around him. Thus, we must realize, it is highly unlikely that St. Joseph doubted the fidelity of Mary. He knew in the depths of his heart and soul that she was with child through an act of God. His response to this fact was not one of doubt; rather, St. Joseph was in awe of the mystery of God. He simply feared that he was lacking in holiness — to be in the presence of Mary and the Messiah, the One who would bring salvation to all people.
Therefore, St. Joseph was seeking to separate, or dismiss himself, from the presence of Mary and Jesus, as St. Peter, when he recognized the holiness of Christ, and his own unworthiness: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”4
In confirmation of this concept, this account can be juxtaposed with a passage from the Gospel of Luke, where an angel of the Lord appears to Zechariah, a Levite and priest, righteous in the eyes of God. “[T]he angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense.” But “Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.” Even so, “the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord . . .’”
After hearing the proclamation of the angel, Zechariah, unlike St. Joseph, expresses doubt: “‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.’ And the angel said to him in reply, ‘I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.’”5 The result of this doubt is that Zechariah is rendered unable to speak until the day his son, John the Baptist, is circumcised.
Can you imagine?
Can you imagine the overwhelming nature of the holy mission entrusted to St. Joseph? That he was to be the husband of Mary, and, not only her husband, but also the foster father of the Messiah, the Christ of God! And yet, through the power of God’s grace, St. Joseph accepts this mission as the Gospel of Luke confirms: “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”6 He accepts his mission, because of his faith, his unwavering trust, that God will watch over all of them and protect them.
Another important point to be considered is present within the last verse of chapter 1 of the Gospel of Matthew: “He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.”7 Here, the Greek word heos has been translated as the English word until, and this occurs many places within the New American Bible. However, just because the Greek word heos is translated until, this does not necessitate that a change in status has occurred. In other words, before, and after, Mary gave birth to Jesus, she remained perpetually a virgin. The word until does not denote that after Mary gave birth to Jesus, she subsequently had relations with St. Joseph. One can see elsewhere in the Bible that the word heos or until has been used in a similar manner. An example of this is found within the last verse of the Gospel of Matthew: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”8 Using the word until here does not indicate that Jesus ceases to be with His people at the end of the age. Instead, we must recognize that Jesus promised to remain with us always, for all Eternity.
May God grant us an unwavering faith, the same faith that St. Joseph possessed. And as we await with joyful expectation the celebration of the birth of Christ, may He grant us the grace to trust with even greater zeal, in the Father who loves us more than we could ever imagine.
Father Kenneth M. Dos Santos, MIC, is Provincial Secretary for the Marian Fathers. This homily was first published in Homiletic & Pastoral Review.
Notes
1. Mt. 1:20, Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1986, Saint Joseph edition of the New American Bible, Lk. 1:29. (Hereafter cited as NAB).
2. NAB, Mt. 1:21.
3. NAB, Mt. 1:19.
4. NAB, Lk. 5:8.
5. NAB, Lk 1:5–20.
6. NAB, Mt. 1:24.
7. NAB, Mt. 1:25.
8. NAB, Mt. 28:20
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