Mar
19
2020
By Anonymous (not verified)
[Joseph] did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. - Mt 1:24
Today is the Feast of St. Joseph. How amazing it is that this preeminent saint is not recorded saying a single word. In today's Gospel, even his actions are quiet. Here we see that Mary, betrothed to Joseph, has been found with child before they lived together. Joseph would have been within his rights (some would say duty-bound) to subject her to humiliation and execution.
We know that Joseph was a "righteous" man (Mt 1:19), like Abraham, the Jewish father in faith. As Paul's Epistle points out, "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" (Rom 4:13). How true in St. Joseph's case: "Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly" (Mt 1: 19).
What is the result of Joseph's quiet mercy? Mercy Itself came into the world. Here is a quote from St. Joseph Gems (Marian Press, 2018), collected by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC:
Today is the Feast of St. Joseph. How amazing it is that this preeminent saint is not recorded saying a single word. In today's Gospel, even his actions are quiet. Here we see that Mary, betrothed to Joseph, has been found with child before they lived together. Joseph would have been within his rights (some would say duty-bound) to subject her to humiliation and execution.
We know that Joseph was a "righteous" man (Mt 1:19), like Abraham, the Jewish father in faith. As Paul's Epistle points out, "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" (Rom 4:13). How true in St. Joseph's case: "Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly" (Mt 1: 19).
What is the result of Joseph's quiet mercy? Mercy Itself came into the world. Here is a quote from St. Joseph Gems (Marian Press, 2018), collected by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC:
To give life to someone is the greatest of all gifts. To save a life is the next. Who gave life to Jesus? It was Mary. Who saved his life? ... Let St. Joseph speak, for ... he alone is the savior of his Savior.
- Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
Prayer: Saint Joseph, pray for us!
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