The Right Man
Today is the feast of Joseph, the husband of Mary, foster father of Jesus. We know his story. The Virgin Mary was betrothed to Joseph. She was to marry Joseph, who belonged to the house of David. But when Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant before they came together, he decided to silently divorce her.
In those days, a woman who gets pregnant out of wedlock with no known husband was a great humiliation to her and her family. It warrants, by law, the penalty of stoning to death. Joseph did not want her to be humiliated and spared her from death so he decided to divorce her. Joseph was described by the evangelist as a just man. Joseph is just not only because he spared Mary from humiliation and death but most especially because he followed the will of God. He gave his heart to the Father. He accepted his vocation as the foster father of the Son of God and he did it with his whole heart. He gave away his very self for the will of the Father. He was a humble servant of God. Joseph was a man of great faith, a man of virtue, and a very righteous man.
By Jewish law, it was Joseph’s “right” to have Mary persecuted because she broke the law. Joseph did not claim that right. The higher claim of love reigned in his heart. Joseph teaches us today a lesson on justice. Christian justice is not only a matter of claiming what is my right. More importantly, it is claiming what is right. Joseph did claim his right — he did what was right. Fr. Joel Jason
REFLECTION QUESTION: What virtue of St. Joseph do you want to imitate? Learn from him.
Holy and Almighty Father, teach us how to give and to give without asking something in return. Teach me to have that strong faith and obey Your will even when we cannot understand everything. Amen.
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