Monday, the Fifth Week of Lent

   Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph.  Little is known of Joseph.  There are no words of his in scripture.  We do know that he was of David’s line and that he was the husband of the Blessed Mother and foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

   He was an honorable caring man.  When he discovered Mary was pregnant he would have assumed that she had committed adultery.  Betrothal at that time was far more that we consider it today.  Once betrothed both the man and woman were obligated to each other as if they were married.  Under Jewish law he could have publicly charged Mary as an adulterer.  However, he had decided to send her away quietly rather than expose her to the law.  This to me speaks of his love and concern for her even when he thought she had been unfaithful.

   Once the angel appeared to him and explained how and why Mary was expecting a child Joseph took her as his wife.  This decision put both of them at risk of being totally ostracized by their friends and family.  He put these concerns aside and fulfilled his role in God’s plan.

    When Jesus was born, he took Him as his son, naming Him Jesus as the angel had directed.  He took Him and Mary to Egypt to protect them from Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus by ordering the slaughter of all baby boys in Bethlehem.  Once Herod died he took his family back to Nazareth.  There they lived as a family while Jesus grew.  There he taught Jesus to be a carpenter and how to be a man.

   What does Joseph teach us?  He teaches us mercy; he could have charged the Blessed Mother with adultery and had her stoned; but he didn’t.  He could have abandoned her and not assumed fatherhood of our Lord; but he didn’t.  He accepted his role as the foster father of Jesus and raised Him as his son.  Joseph teaches us what it is to be an adoptive parent; to accept another’s child as your own.  Anyone who has adopted can look to him as the perfect model.

   God chooses to accept us as His adoptive children.  Jesus takes us as His adoptive brothers and sisters.  The Blessed Mother accepts us her adoptive children through the Church.  All love us perfectly and completely. This is the love Jesus came to teach us; unreserved, unlimited and eternal love.  He asks the same from us, both for Him and for all of His brothers and sisters in faith.  Joseph gave us the example; it is ours to follow.