The Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19, 2021

Matthew 1:16, 18–21, 24a

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.  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 when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “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. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. 

“When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.”  St. Jerome asks, “And who was this found by?  By Joseph alone.”  None but Joseph needed to know, although Mary’s cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah also knew.  Mary would have told of her miraculous pregnancy to Joseph, and he had so high an opinion of her that he believed her the moment she told him of it, although much remained to be pondered and wondered at.  It seems to me that she would have told him very soon after the event of the Annunciation, even within a few hours, after she had thought and prayed.  Then, a few days afterwards, she went down to the Judean hill country to see Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist.  Joseph would have had six months, then, to turn over in his mind how he should act in the face of this tremendous news.

“Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.”  A careful look at the Greek text and consideration of the comments of Fathers such as St. Jerome lead to a different translation for this verse: “Joseph, her husband, because he was a righteous man, indeed, unwilling to make public this secret, decided to separate from her quietly.”  Far from intending to divorce Mary, St. Joseph acted in a way that brings to mind Peter, who after the miraculous catch of fish, said to Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5, 8).  Such was his humility that he thought himself to be in the way of this staggering mystery of a woman who had conceived by the Holy Spirit.  His humility, in fact, makes him the perfect partner for “the Handmaid of the Lord” since they both thought of themselves as lowly servants of God.  It is this humility which makes him “righteous”, and not simply a person who obeyed all the rules.  Whatever the opinion of men, he was righteous before the Lord.  

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”  The Angel reveals to us that fear has played an important role in his decision to step away from Mary and her Child.  Not the sort of fear that arises as the result of a threat, but the proper fear — respect — of God and of that which is holy.  This conclusively proves false the idea that Joseph meant to divorce Mary, because a man does not undertake this action out of fear, particularly if he believes his wife has acted unfaithfully.

“When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”  The righteous man obeyed the Angel who was sent from God.  

We marvel at Joseph’s holiness: his humility and his innocent and wholehearted trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary, and who alone, of all the men who ever lived, was worthy of this Woman and her Child.  A simple working man who was, with his wife, God’s choicest servant.