+ On this Feast
of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I
should like to focus on the person of St. Joseph. Yesterday
we celebrated the feast of the Child Jesus, next
Friday we will celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and of God, and
so today it is fitting and proper to speak for a few moments on holy, just, good and faith-filled Joseph who was chosen by God to be
the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus the Lord.
Joseph possessed all of the
virtues of a true holy man of the faith of Abraham and the
house of David. And his most outstanding virtue, along with
faith, would have to be TRUST! Joseph
trusted God absolutely, implicitly, unquestioningly and immediately!
In the gospel passage we hear
that Joseph received news from an angel in a dream to
take the child and his mother and flee into Egypt for the safety of the life of
the child. Joseph did not have to question the angel at
all; he awoke and did what the angel told him!
Then later, when it was safe,
the prophecy: out of Egypt I called my son was
fulfilled, when the angel again appeared to Joseph and told him to
take his family and return to Nazareth in Galilee – to
fulfill yet another prophecy: he shall be called a Nazorean – this
Joseph did immediately!
It was then that Joseph became
the strong earthly father figure for Jesus in his formative years in the home
of Nazareth. He taught him his own carpentry trade. He with Mary taught Jesus
to pray and to observe all of the dictates of the Jewish religion of which they
were a part. His loving example of husband and foster-father is a great role
model for all men who marry and have children. And the respect and submission
that Mary and Jesus had to Joseph’s God-inspired leadership in
their family was equally noteworthy.
Mary
was the ideal mother and wife – who trusted God that all
would work out well for her family! It would not be easy later on – but with
the support of Joseph for a while, and the community of disciples of Jesus
after that, she would have what she needed for the remainder of her earthly
life. And it is to be noted that Jesus, as a child obeyed Joseph without
question or argument!
May our family lives resemble Holy
Family Life – with parents and children respecting
and loving and anticipating one another in deeds of kindness and helpfulness. And
may the dynamic of the marriage of Mary and Joseph, be the model for all
Christian marriages – which were sanctified and sacramentalized by their own
Son Jesus – where the husband cherishes and cares
totally for the wife and children more easily, the more they each in turn trust
in and submit to his prayer inspired, Spirit aided decisions for their welfare.
Let
the peace of Christ control our hearts, all of us;
let
the word of Christ dwell in us richly through FAITH and
the TRUST
that
St. Joseph inspires!
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