Saint Joseph’s Story
The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a “just” man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts.
When the Bible speaks of God “justifying” someone, it means that God, the all-holy or “righteous” one, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in God’s own holiness, and hence it is really “right” for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games, acting as if we were lovable when we are not.
By saying Joseph was “just,” the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God.
The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage.
It is no contradiction of Joseph’s manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this “quietly” because he was “a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19).
The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God—in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage.
Reflection: The Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41–51). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to realize that the holiest family was like every other family, that the circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every family, so that when Jesus’ mysterious nature began to appear, people couldn’t believe that he came from such humble beginnings: “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary…?” (Matthew 13:55a). It was almost as indignant as “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46b).
April 30 2017 I wrote~"In the morning when I wake up and put my feet on the floor, I make the sign of the cross and say, "I offer up this day to you God". When I take a shower I think of how good a shower would have felt to Mary after she gave birth to Jesus and I pray, "God cleanse me of my sin and wash me of all inequity", (sound familiar?), thankfully. I thank God for a good cup of tea, and so much, much more!
I have so many reasons to be thankful!
Today I am thankful for Lent...
Lent has been up and down for me. At times I have felt that I am behind in "prayer, fasting and alms giving"~Lent is almost done! I can do more, I can try harder....and then I realize....I have been listening to lies. God is love, Jesus died to give me life and freedom. Who am I to condemn anyone...even myself?
God is good, thank-you Jesus...Praise the blessed Trinity~ Easter is almost upon us.
After 40 days in the desert, I bet a nice warm shower, or a swim in a pool or hot tub, a great meal and a soft bed would have felt great to Jesus....but he chose to live in the "time" period where these were not an option for him.
GIFT OF WISDOM
Definition
The first and highest gifts of the Holy Spirit. It makes the soul responsive to God in the contemplation of divine things. Where faith is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief, wisdom goes on to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves. Built into wisdom is the element of love, which inspires contemplative reflection on these divine mysteries, rejoices dwelling on them, and directs the mind to judge all things according to their principles.
+JMJ+
~Blessings
~Tina~
