Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,

but before they lived together,

she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,

yet unwilling to expose her to shame,

decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,

the angel of the Lord 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.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.”

When Joseph awoke,

he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took his wife into his home.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you invite me to believe in you and trust in you as my loving Father. When I sin, I reject you, your plan, and your love. When I sin, I mistakenly trust in myself. Never let me doubt your love and be separated from you through sin.

Encountering the Word of God

1. A Humble Man: Matthew’s Gospel opens with the genealogy of Jesus and traces the royal line from Abraham and King David all the way to Joseph, a humble carpenter working in Nazareth. From what we can piece together, it appears that some members of the royal house of David moved north and established themselves in the town of Nazareth sometime before or during the second century B.C. It is interesting to note that when the Hasmoneans, also known as the Maccabees, defeated the Seleucids in 164 B.C., they did not put someone from the Davidic line on the throne. The Hasmoneans were from the tribe of Levi and not from the tribe of Judah or the line of David. What the Gospel of Matthew tells us is that the true royal son of David was Joseph, who lived as a humble carpenter and hidden king in Nazareth. Matthew especially draws out a marked contrast between the evil King Herod and the humble king, Joseph. How am I imitating Joseph's example as both a humble worker and a king?

2. A Righteous Man: Joseph is hailed in the Gospels as a “righteous man” (Matthew 1:19), and the reverence theory offers one of the most profound explanations of that justice or righteousness. Rather than suspecting Mary of sinful infidelity or simply following the Law of Moses blindly, Joseph perceived in Mary’s pregnancy a mystery too holy for him to approach. Out of reverent awe, he chose to divorce Mary quietly. This decision protected Mary from public disgrace while simultaneously honoring the sanctity he sensed was at work. His righteousness was never harsh or self-righteous like that of the Pharisees, but steeped in humble adoration of the divine plan unfolding before him.

3. An Obedient Man: Joseph is a just and upright man who trusts God fully and totally. Joseph’s faith and trust are fully manifested in his filial obedience to God’s commandment: he does just as the angel of the Lord commanded him, taking Mary into his home and naming the child Jesus. His obedience to God’s word, almost always delivered through dreams, stands as the clearest witness to his living faith. Four times Matthew records an angel appearing to him in a dream, and each time Joseph rises immediately to obey and act. First, he takes Mary as his wife and names the child Jesus. Second, he flees with the Holy Family into Egypt. Third, he returns to Israel after Herod the Great’s death. And, fourth, he settles in Nazareth instead of Bethlehem because he was warned about Archelaus. In each instance, there is no debate, no delay, no second-guessing. Joseph demonstrates prompt, silent, and heroic surrender to the voice of God. For this reason, he is a model of a man who, on hearing the divine command, acts without hesitation.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Son of David, I trust in you as my Savior. Help me imitate Saint Joseph, who welcomed you, cared for you, and embraced his role in the divine plan of salvation. Help me to welcome you in the stranger, care for you in the poor, and embrace the Father’s will for me.

Living the Word of God: As we celebrate the solemnity of Joseph today, we contemplate him as a model of faith and trust in God. We should strive to imitate Joseph, asking God to increase our faith and help us in our unbelief. Second, as we meditate today on Joseph’s role in the history of salvation, we ask God to enlighten us about our own mission, and we ask God for the grace and strength to fulfill that mission as Joseph did.