In November 2020, Pope Francis declared the next year would be dedicated to St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus Christ. St. Joseph, as you know, is the Patron of the Universal Church. What an amazing opportunity in the midst of our global turmoil to reflect on our steadfast protector, defender, and humble obedient servant. The following forty reflections and prayers can be read in any order and on any day, written by priests’ and deacons’ who use the myParish app in their parishes. Join us to reflect on the life of St. Joseph.

We don’t really have a clear picture of St. Joseph’s life. He is mentioned directly only in the birth and childhood stories in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Mark never mentions him and John only refers to him twice and then indirectly when he calls Jesus the “Son of Joseph”. We know that Joseph was alive and involved in the life of Jesus’ early life, at least up until the time that Jesus was found in the Temple in Jerusalem listening to the teachers and asking them questions and astounding them with his understanding and answers as written in Mark’s Gospel. Biblical scholars are certain that St. Joseph died well before the public life of Jesus.

I think that the significance of St. Joseph and why he is so revered is given to us in the Gospel from Matthew. Mary was betrothed to Joseph before she “was found with child through the Holy Spirit”. By the custom of those days, a betrothal was a significantly more sacred bond than an engagement is today. This bond was legally as strong as marriage except they lived apart and had no conjugal relations and the woman’s parents were still responsible for her care and support. Marriage was the final seal upon the bond. So if you wanted to terminate or end a betrothal, the process was very similar to a formal legal divorce. Again, referring to the cultural norms of that time, a woman betrothed but not married who became pregnant, had committed a serious sin and an unforgivable social and moral transgression. Joseph could by law, have Mary stoned or cast out from the community. But what did Joseph do? As we heard in the Gospel, “since he was a righteous man yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. But then an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Joseph, being a man of great faith, did as the Angel of God had instructed him. It was Joseph’s faithful response to God that was most significant.

We can reflect on Joseph’s faith and devotion to Mary as we continue our journey through Lent. Recall that we are called to prayer, repentance, and almsgiving. Joseph had a great love for Mary but also God and through that love, he had the courage to do as instructed and to dismiss the possible family and community disgrace that faced both him and Mary.

We can look to Joseph for inspiration and courage to live our faith as Jesus has instructed us to do. That is why it is so important for each of us to form a personal and intimate relationship with the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through prayer and reflection, taking advantage of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession. You will hear me shout the need for regular confession until my last breath is drawn. Many Catholics, including myself, did not go to confession out of fear or a lack of a clear understanding of the Sacrament. We humans sin. We all have crosses to carry and some of those crosses cause us to sin and sometimes those sins are what the Church refers to as grave or mortal sins. Whatever the sin we commit or the cross we bear, it inflicts injury to our relationship with God. People who don’t understand the true essence of the Sacrament often take the position that they confess their sins to Jesus directly and He (Jesus) knows they are sorry and are forgiven. Except that Jesus gave the power to forgive on earth to the Apostles and their successors. It is through the act of going to a priest and confessing our sins and being truly sorry that we are absolved of our sins and we receive Sanctifying Grace that heals the wounds of sin and strengthens us against the evil one who is always looking to steal our soul. If you have not been to confession for some time, for whatever reason, pray for the strength to go and fully reunite yourself with the Triune God. In my case, and I think in everyone’s case, the Sacrament of Reconciliation along with frequent Holy Communion is the healing and bonding agents that solidify our personal and intimate relationship with God. To have that relationship allows us the ability to be guided by the Holy Spirit. 

Like Joseph who trusted God and the message he was given through the Angel of God, we too must have the faith and courage to love God and others and to respond to God’s will so that we can achieve the ultimate goal in our lives, eternal salvation.

God Bless and continue to build that personal and intimate relationship with God.
AND GET TO CONFESSION SOON!

~Deacon Jim Nelson
St. Joseph, Battle Creek, Mi

When we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we are reminded that they are a model of holiness and faithfulness for all families.  Although they were the perfect family they experienced many trials and difficulties in their day.  For example, when Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem to be enrolled by the decree of Caesar Augustus, Mary’s body was beginning the process of giving birth. Since there was no room for them at the inn, where was she going to deliver her baby?  I could only imagine what was going through St. Joseph’s mind.  Because of their faith in God, the Holy Spirit guided them to a cave and there Mary gave birth to the Savior of the world. 

 “May the Holy Family, who had to overcome many painful trials, watch over all the families in the world, especially those who are experiencing difficult situations. May the virtues of the Holy Family also help men and women of culture, and political leaders so that they may defend the institution of the family, based on marriage, and so that they may sustain the family as it confronts the grave challenges of the modern age!”

Pope John Paul II– Feast of the Holy Family 2004

“A family that prays together, stays together.”  Let us exemplify the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as we are called to strengthen our families through self-less acts of humility and charity.

Year of St. Joseph

On Dec. 8, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter, Patris corde “With a Father’s Heart” for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Pope proclaimed a “Year of St. Joseph” from Dec. 8, 2020, through Dec. 8, 2021, explaining that the aim of this special year is “to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal.” Also, a plenary indulgence is available to Catholics throughout the year under specific conditions. Please visit the Diocese website grdiocese.org for more information.

Fr. Tony Russo
Pastor
Our Lady of Consolation
Rockford, MI

We know very few details about the life of Saint Joseph.  He is mentioned four times in the New Testament, and two of those times (Luke 3:23 and John 1:45) are only in passing.  Joseph plays a significant role only in the first two chapters of Matthew and of Luke, and those chapters are far more theological than historical.  In Luke Joseph plays a background role (best supporting actor?) to Mary and Jesus.  Matthew portrays a more active Joseph, and on that Joseph, I offer these reflections.

Matthew patterns Saint Joseph after the stories of Joseph in the Book of Genesis.  In Genesis God spoke to Joseph in dreams; likewise in Matthew.  In Genesis Joseph eventually brings his family into Egypt and saves them from death; likewise in Matthew.  The evangelist whom we call Matthew is not a historian or a biographer.  He is not writing a life of Jesus, let alone one of Joseph.  He is simply an early Jewish Christian trying to share his understanding of the mystery of Jesus.  What does Matthew’s Joseph tell us about Jesus and about our response to him?

Prayerfully read the first two chapters of Matthew, taking time with each part:  the genealogy, the first dream, the visit of the sages, the second dream, the killing of the babies, the third dream, the return to Israel.  The evangelist presents a Joseph who encapsulates the whole people of Israel, from Sarah and Abraham down to the time of Jesus.  Matthew’s Joseph is an upright person, faithful to the God of his ancestors.  Matthew has God speak to Joseph in dreams; and Joseph, though he might not fully understand, obeys God.  He accepts Mary as his wife and her child as his son.  He takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt, thereby saving the child from Herod’s wrath.  After Herod’s death, he returns with his family to the land of Israel (although not to his hometown of Bethlehem but to a new home in Nazareth).  Then he disappears from the scene, and we never see him again.

What does Matthew’s portrayal of Joseph tell us?  I see someone whose life is open to God.  How open to God are we?  Do we hear God speak to us in Sacred Scripture? in our tradition? in our life experiences? in our dreams?  How open and alert are we to God’s presence?  Do we listen for God’s call?  How do we respond?  Even if the evangelist doesn’t say so, the Joseph whom Matthew presents has to be a person of prayer, a person whose heart remains open to God, a person open to obeying God even when God’s call does not make sense.  Matthew’s Joseph lived in the presence of God … and without denying the divinity of Christ, in this case, I am not referring to Jesus.

What does prayer mean?  I think that it means living, like Joseph, in the presence of God.  Prayer can be formal or informal, public or private, verbal or silent.  We can pray in our own words or in those of others.  We can set aside time for deliberate, conscious contact with God, and we can experience God’s presence in the unplanned events of daily life.  Most of us need all those kinds of prayer.  If I don’t set aside time for deliberate contact with God, I am not likely to find God in the rest of my life.  If I don’t find God in unexpected experiences, my formal prayer is likely to be hollow.  For example, if I don’t find God in a homeless person, I am not likely to find God at Mass.  Likewise, unless I allow God to change me at Mass, I am not likely to see God in a homeless person.

Prayer is listening.  We come to God in prayer with the whole gamut of human experience—family relationships, health concerns, financial security, sexual desires, etc.  We need to bring all those things to God in prayer.  Otherwise, they are going to create background noise and keep us from hearing what God wants to say.  Once we’ve brought our issues and concerns to God, however, we need to put them aside, quiet ourselves, and let God speak.  We have to allow our little egos to recede into the background and open our lives to the ultimate reality that is God.  God’s voice may not always be clear and distinct, and our response may be awkward and confused.  We may have to change course more than once.  The Joseph whom Matthew depicts would have experienced the same—after all, dreams are sometimes more confusing than clear!  A faithful Jew, he would have lived in God’s presence.  That is why we call him Saint Joseph.

Loren Connell, OFM, is a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest ministering in retirement at St Francis Retreat House in Easton, Pennsylvania.