Homily for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, 2021

 

Solemnity of St. Joseph: Matthew 1: 16, 18-21, 24a

Regarding St. Joseph, one scholar says, “Men of our time do not see the figure of Joseph as sufficiently interesting to consider it worth a more detailed examination” (Suarez, 14).

We, however, think differently. We are not only interested but fascinated with St. Joseph. Let’s begin a journey of discovery.

The Bible speaks of Joseph as a just man, as a carpenter or craftsman, and as a father. What does each of these attributes mean for us?

Mt. 1: 19: Joseph was a just (or “righteous”) man

First, Joseph was a just man or “righteous” man as the translation of today’s Gospel says.

Being “just” means he was a man of the covenant. He was in right relationship with God. In essence, it means that he was a holy observer of the Law.

But I think there is something more revealed to us in today’s Gospel than just a generic description of a just man. He was just but in a certain way.

St. Matthew tells us that “since he was a just man,” he decided to put Mary away quietly. Notice, I did not say “divorce” her. ἀπολύω (apolyō) is a verb in Greek that means to give leave, or even to forgive. It is probably better translated, “to put her away privately” or, as the RSV says, “to send her away quietly.”

But how can Joseph be described as “just” because he wanted to send Our Lady away quietly?

For Joseph, in being a just man, sending Mary away quietly needed to avoid, first of all, any indication of an indiscretion on Mary’s part. Joseph knew the Immaculate Virgin better than anyone. He could not have concluded that she had sinned. At the same time, Joseph could not see how he was part of this supernatural event and divine plan so he needed to remove himself from the equation. How could he do both?

Federico Suarez in his book “Joseph of Nazareth” provides a wonderful explanation. Sending Mary away “meant simply avoiding the issue, leaving unfulfilled the marriage to which he had solidly committed himself with the betrothal ceremony.”

You see, Joseph had not yet brought Mary into his home. They were legally married, but the process was not yet complete. If Joseph sends her away, he does not fulfill his legal obligation. His lack of action will reflect badly on him but not on Mary.

Suarez concludes, “with this solution, Our Lady would not now be a rejected wife but an abandoned wife. Not a woman marked out by sin, but one marked by misfortune. Not a woman expiating a misdeed, but one who suffers for someone else’s misdeed.” (Suarez, Joseph of Nazareth, 44-45)

Joseph found a solution that preserves Mary’s reputation, puts the blame on himself because he would be seen as not fulfilling his duty and abandoning his wife and child, and does not interfere with God’s will. He is willing to quietly suffer this indignation from others for the sake of preserving Mary’s good reputation. It is the choice of a truly just man.

In the end Joseph discovers that he is part of the divine plan. Thus, he does not need to put the blame on anyone. Whatever his fear, it disappears as soon as the angel tells Joseph of how he has a role in God’s mysterious plan of salvation.

Dealing with ambiguity and confusion, preserving the good name of others, willing to suffer so that others do not have to, and, in all things, discerning and following God’s will not matter the cost, is who a “just” man is. This man is St. Joseph, and this man should be you and me.

Mt. 13: 55; Mk. 6: 3: Joseph was a carpenter or craftsman

Joseph is also called a carpenter of craftsman. The word the Gospels use is “téktōn,” a common term used for artisans, craftsmen, and woodworkers (so, yes, it can translate as “carpenter”). The Latin translation of “faber,” preserves the broader meaning and is a general term used for workers and craftsmen.

Pope Francis reminds us that “working persons, whatever their job may be, are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us… Saint Joseph’s work reminds us that God himself, in becoming man, did not disdain work.”

Joseph knew intimately the world of manual labor. With his skills he could provide for the Holy Family. He even traveled to Egypt without a truck! He worked hard, long hours not as an end in itself, but for Jesus and Mary.

The world of work needs to recapture its supernatural direction.

All noble work, no matter its level of importance in the world, is capable of being an offering to God. When we do it well, with a keen sense of how it serves others, and we put love into it, it becomes a sweet-smelling offering to the Lord

Joseph had projects and clients. He had to order materials and care for his tools. He practiced order and timeliness. He knew the importance of getting it right and according to specifications given to him by others.

He was a proud craftsman of his work and did it well as an offering to the Lord, the Lord that worked with him under his roof.

The work of a priest, while not considered manual labor, is sacred. Priestly ministry involves preaching and the celebration of the sacrament, which needs to be done well.

Priestly ministry also involves paperwork, meetings, mundane conversations, and long hours. It demands unseen menial tasks and hidden visits to the hospital and nursing homes. A priest’s work can be thankless and sometime even despised. No matter. Like Joseph, we are spiritual “craftsmen” who receive from God’s providence and offer back to Him a people redeemed by His love.

Lk. 2: 48: Joseph was a father

Finally, Joseph was a father. Our Lady simple says in the Gospel of Luke, “Your father and I have been looking for you.” There is no adjective like “foster father,” “adoptive father,” or “earthly father.” All of these are legitimate adjectives, but Our Lady uses none of them. Joseph is simply “father.”

Now, we know that he is not the biological father of Jesus. But he was father in every other sense.

God the Father’s choice for who would be the father on earth for His Son Jesus was a choice for someone who could best reflect His fatherhood in the world. This man needed to protect the savior, even save the savior from Herod. This man needed to raise the Son of God in all the ways of faith, of culture, of language, of work, of relationships, of affections, of virtues, etc. In other words, this man needed to represent God the Father in the most perfect way possible. Joseph was that man.

Two particular moments in the Gospel illustrate Joseph’s fatherhood, the Circumcision and the Finding in the Temple.

At the circumcision, Joseph had the ritual duty to name the child. He was charged by the angel to name Him Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1: 21). On bestowing the name on the child, Joseph revealed to the world that he was acting as father and filling in or standing in for the heavenly Father.

Every father on earth, especially a priest, stands in for God the Father.

When he and his wife find Jesus in the Temple, Joseph hears the direct words of his 12-year-old son, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk. 2: 49). Joseph learns in the Temple that there are limits within which he can exercise his fatherly authority. Joseph had authority over Jesus but only in so far as it aided the mission given to Jesus by his heavenly Father.

Every father on earth, especially a priest, knows that his ability and authority have limits and that God the Father’s authority and activity of grace are preeminent in the life of every soul. Fathers must know what they can and cannot do and leave the rest to God the Father. He is Father of us all.

After Mass a number of us will formally consecrate ourselves to God through St. Joseph. It is simply a way of recognizing his role as a just man, craftsman, and father in my life. It is a way to “enter into” the spirit and power of Joseph and deepen our love and dedication to Our Lady and our complete self-giving to Christ.

As we continue in the Year of St. Joseph, I pray that the great Patron of the Church will be your and you will be his more deeply. I pray that you and I will be able to better live as St. Joseph did as a just man, as a craftsman, and as a father.