Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - Feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary (usually on March 19)
[2 Samuel 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16; Romans 4:13, 16, 18-22; Matthew 1:1, 18-21 or Luke 2:41-51A]Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
We don't know a lot about Joseph, but what little we know is important. He was of the house and family of David, and he was willing to take on the embarrassing and dangerous task of being the husband of Mary "who was found with child through the Holy Spirit." He didn't divorce her and he managed to get her and the baby out of harm's way when Herod sought to kill the child. He was part of the mutual anxiety created when Jesus decided not to join the caravan and stayed in Jerusalem! We know he was a carpenter. His role at the beginning of Jesus' life reminds me of the remark made by the Naval Officer of the Day when my father tried to get some orders changed so that he could be with my mother who was in labor with me: "Lieutenant, you are necessary for the laying of the keel but not the launching of the ship." Anyone who has visited the Shrine of St. Joseph in Montreal will learn to appreciate the power of a devotion that can lead to the building of an enormous shrine visited by pilgrims from around the world! On a smaller level, the Little Sisters of the Poor have a devotion of placing a petition under the statue of St. Joseph when they are in need of something. The stories that have arisen from this particular devotional practice are really amazing. And, of course, there is that devotional practice of burying a small statue of St. Joseph in the ground of a piece of real estate one is seeking to sell (some swear he has to be upside down, but I think dignity does have it's limits!). Joseph may have been a "bit player" but a lot has come from that bit! Perhaps it is best simply to revere this courageous and faithful man for his willingness to be part of God's strange but saving plan. That's the most that most of us can do! AMEN
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