Sunday:       Feast Of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Date:         March 19, 2002
Year:         A
The readings: [2 Sam. 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Rom. 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt. 1:16, 18-21, 24a]
The message:  The life of Saint Joseph.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  910

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My brothers and sisters in Christ, welcome to today's celebration of the Holy Mass in commemoration of the Feast of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary. Saint Joseph, a descendant of King David, was the adoptive Father of the Child Jesus. As most of you are aware, the Holy Bible does not tell us very much about the life of St. Joseph as the husband of Mary. Beyond the twelfth year of Jesus, we know nothing about his life.

From the Gospel of Matthew, we learn that St. Joseph was engaged to be married to the Virgin Mary. [Mt. 1:18; Lk. 1:27] Before they were married, he learned that Mary was pregnant. [Mt. 1:18] Being a just man, not to cause a public scandal, he was willing to send Mary away privately. [Mt. 1:19] While reflecting upon this action, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and told him that Mary's child was of the Holy Spirit. [Mt. 1:20] When Joseph awakened from his dream, he obeyed the angel and took Mary as his wife. [Mt. 1:24]

Then, from the Gospel of Luke, we learn that in the days of Caesar Augustus, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, Joseph being of the house and lineage of David. [Lk. 2:1-7] Returning to the Gospel of Matthew, when the Child was born, as was the custom of Jewish fathers to do so, Joseph gave the name of Jesus to his adopted Son. [Mt. 1:25] The Gospel of Luke also tells us that when the shepherds visited Baby Jesus who was lying in a manger, Joseph was present with Mary.

Next, we learn that when Jesus was about two years old, the angel of the Lord came again to Joseph in a dream. He told Joseph to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary because Herod was looking for the young Child to kill Him. [Mt. 2:13] Joseph immediately departed with Jesus and Mary [Mt. 2:14] and dwelled in Egypt for some time. [Mt. 2:15] A few years late, the angel of the Lord came once more to Joseph in a dream and told him that he should return to the land of Israel because Herod had died. [Mt. 2:15, 19-21] Joseph took the Holy Family and moved to a city called Nazareth.[Mt. 2:23]

From the Gospel of Luke, we also learn that when Jesus was presented to the Temple as the Jewish custom required, both Joseph and Mary marvelled at what Simeon said about the Child. [Lk. 2:33- 4]

Further in the Gospel of Matthew, we learn that Joseph was a carpenter. [Mt. 13:55] From the Gospel of Mark, we learn that Jesus was also a carpenter. [Mk. 6:3] As such, Joseph must have spent many years teaching the trade of carpentry to his Son, such beginning during the youth of the Child Jesus.

Next, we learn that every year, Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. On this occasion, Jesus was twelve years old. [Lk. 2:41] Having returned a day's journey towards home, Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus was not with any of the relatives. [Lk. 2:43-4] They returned to Jerusalem to look for Jesus. [Lk. 2:45] When they found Jesus in the Temple, Mary told Him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." [Lk. 2:48]

In the Gospel of John, we learn that when the disciples referred to Jesus, it was stated that He was "Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." [Jn. 1:45] This is an account of all the verses regarding Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary, that are found in the Holy Scriptures.

From all of these biblical passages, we learn that through St. Joseph, of the lineage of king David, the kingship of the Lord Jesus was established as the King of kings. Saint Joseph, a king himself without a crown, was a just man and a carpenter by trade.

Whenever the angel of the Lord came to him, he immediately submitted himself in obedience to the Divine Will of our Creator, God Almighty. Joseph was a man who was very fond of his adopted Son Jesus, loving Him as his own biological son. We can perceive this fatherly love when he and Mary found Jesus at the Temple, at which time Mary said that both of them searched with great anxiety. Considering that about ten years earlier, king Herod wanted Jesus dead, we can just imagine what went through the mind of St. Joseph while Jesus was missing. Did he fear that Jesus was dead? Did he fear that he had failed God by not watching over Jesus more closely? These personal thoughts of Saint Joseph, we shall never know.

Based on what is known of Saint Joseph, it becomes clear that while his calling was of a very great magnitude, to care and protect the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, it was also a very humble calling of one who remained in the background. The message we get from the life of Saint Joseph is that we should always focus our eyes on the Lord Jesus, not on a man.

Today, as we reflect upon the life of Saint Joseph, let us ask the Holy Spirit to bless us with his holy virtues. In St. Joseph, among other virtues, we can identify love, a just and righteous man, chastity, caring, sharing, obedience, submission, humility, protecting, all what is necessary to entitle us to shine as a brilliant light in the world.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"The word of the Lord came to Nathan: 'Go and tell my servant David: 'When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.'" [2 Sam. 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16]

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Second Reading...

"The promise that Abraham would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham.

He is the father of all of us, as it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nations.' Abraham believed in the presence of the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Hoping against hope, Abraham believed that he would become 'the father of many nations,' according to what was said, 'So numerous shall your descendants be.'

Therefore his faith 'was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" [Rom. 4:13, 16-18, 22]

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Gospel Reading...

"Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife." [Mt. 1:16, 18-21, 24a]

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OR...

"Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival.

When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, 'Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.' he said to them, 'Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he said to them.

Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them." [Lk. 2:41-51a]

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