A Man of Silence and Remarkable Faith

 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

19 March 2022

 

First Reading: 2 SM 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16

Responsorial Psalm: PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

Second Reading: ROM 4:13, 16-18, 22

Gospel: MT 1:16, 18-21, 24a

 

Reflection

By: Jose Paulo M. Gonzales

 

On this eventful day, we commemorate St. Joseph, a man with remarkable faith. A carpenter by trade, Joseph is often described as a man of righteous industry, silent dignity, and intimate devotion to his wife, Mary. Such was his devotion to Mary that in the Gospel today, in view of Mary's sudden conception, in order not to expose her shame, Joseph decided to divorce her in silence. Still, upon instruction from the angel of the Lord, Joseph took Mary as his wife, further as mother to what would be Jesus, the Christ.

The message of the angel of the Lord gives us a clear view into faith. The angel told Joseph: "Do not be afraid." It was the possible derision of the people along with all the unknown consequence(s) of Joseph's prospective choice to commit that were likely to have instilled fear in him, but the angel told him how to respond in faith: "Do not be afraid." As we realize today, not to be afraid is not necessarily to be without an inkling of fear, but to step out in faith regardless of whether we are fearful or not.

The second reading for today (Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22) gives us an important distinction between faith and fear. If the blessings that Abraham and his descendants were endowed with came from the righteousness born of faith and not of the fear that comes from the law, it follows that it is our affirmative actions in agreement to God's invitations and instructions by which we are blessed more than our merely following the law. To follow the law is fundamentally necessary to observe what is due to God and all creation, but to follow the law is only to perform the actions necessary to rule out offense or punishment. To follow the law is minimally provident and is overall restrictive, but to live in faith is to surpass the requirements of the law to make for more procreative forms of good towards God and all creation. The law can tell a tenant to give from his or her yield to the landlord a fruit or two or any appropriate proportion, but faith... love tells us to give even when we have few, to give even when others are prosperous, to give even when we could not rationalize it anymore. Faith tells us, as in the words of St. John Paul II: "Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich he has nothing to receive."  A poor widow can give two coins out of the few she has in full and still be considered by the Lord generous in giving (Mark 12:41-44), and a rich man with all his wealth still stands to receive good lessons on giving and humility from Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Like Joseph in today's Gospel, to act in faith is to accept our "Mary"—to accept and make best of the many things she could represent from our Model Mother to our divine lot—to follow the Lord out of our good hearts than our fearful minds—to follow the Lord even when we do not know the way and nothing seems to make sense, grounded in our belief that He is good, and that to us, He is God, He is our loving Father.

As we remember the Solemnity of St. Joseph today, may we forge of ourselves earnest workers especially in the work of good who know how to be silent when there is a need, if in our silence we can hear God and others better, and if in our silence we espouse a humbler attitude inclined towards loving others more than placing ourselves first.

Prayer

Lord, Thank You for being our good and loving Father and for all the graces You give us. As we remember St. Joseph today, may we grow in his qualities You want us to espouse ourselves, especially if in such keeping, we become more delightful children to You. We also ask for Your forgiveness in times when we fall short of this standard. These we ask, in Jesus' most holy Name, Amen.