A MAN
OF FAITH
Solemnity Of Saint Joseph,
Spouse Of The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Gospel passage for the Solemnity of St.
Joseph is St. Matthew’s account of the announcement to Joseph of the coming
birth of Jesus. It makes St. Joseph the central and active figure – Joseph is
the recipient of a revelation, and God the Father communicates His will to him.
The evangelist suggests that Joseph understood what was asked of him and
without further questioning or doubt, accepted the call of God. “When Joseph
awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him…” (Mt 1:24). Joseph
was a man of faith!
Earlier, in the history of God’s people,
Abraham took God at His word and believed. His faith was an act of confidence
in God and an act of hope in a promise that only our heavenly Father could
guarantee. Joseph, like Abraham, had only the barest knowledge about his
vocation. Yet, he accepted it with the same unquestioning faith and absolute
trust in God.
In the first reading, today, King David had
intended to build a glorious temple to the Lord, but the prophet Nathan bore a
message from God not to build this temple. Rather, it would be David’s heir who
would build it – a house for God’s name (Cf. 2 Sm 7:13). God promised David
that He would “make his royal throne firm forever…Your house and your kingdom
shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall stand firm forever” (2 Sm
7:13b, 16). Prophetically, we understand God’s words to be a reference to Jesus
Christ and His Kingdom. Joseph was a descendant of David and, therefore, he had
a significant role in the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
Generally, after seeking guidance and advice,
we usually have some notion of what God is asking of us. It may be clear to us
how we are to go about doing His will; yet, we still need faith and trust in
His Providence as we continue on our journey of life with all its ups and
downs. Our prayer today can be found in the Responsorial Psalm, “He shall say
of me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock, my Savior’” (Ps 89:27)! You are
our God, and we are Your people.
I would like to share this line I read in a
commentary for today’s Solemnity: “Faith means the family’s future…”