St. Joseph

2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Rm 4:13, 16-18, 22
Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

What does it mean to be righteous, to be a righteous person? I’m relatively certain that the life St. Joseph led is not the life he had planned when he asked Mary for her hand. An average man, ready to live an average life, until everything was turned upside down. We know next to nothing about St. Joseph, little is recorded in the scripture about him. There exists, to my knowledge, no record of anything that Joseph said. But perhaps this lack of knowledge speaks volumes to us about him. Joseph didn’t plan to live the life he did. But he lived the life he was asked to live, quietly, with dignity. He could have ranted and raved and walked away, but when asked by God to take on this life, to be the nurturer of the Messiah, Joseph quietly set about his task. Joseph lived as God asked, did what he had to do, without complaint. Joseph was righteous. May we all see his example and be the same.

Deacon John
Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of Mary
March 19, 2007