Daily Reflection: 34th Day of Lent

One week from today we will be hunting for Easter eggs and celebrating the Easter Vigil. The readings from here on out will be intense and emotional, because really the coming week is what our faith is all about.

But today is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the readings take a brief respite from the story that has been building the past few weeks.

Today’s Gospel can be one of two and I’ll post both of them. The first is Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24:

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.

The second is Luke 2:41-51:

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them.

The story of Joseph is an interesting and often overlooked one. Joseph was, of course, known as the father of Jesus because he raised him as his own even though he was not his biological father, something that many men don’t think twice about doing in modern times, but that was unexpected and rare in Joseph’s time, especially considering that Mary was with child when they wed. Joseph could have left her, but he didn’t because he was visited by an angel of the Lord. Much is made of the choice that Mary made and so it should be, but can you even imagine what Joseph must have thought and felt? To be even the adoptive or foster parent of the Son of God, you must be an amazing human being, so it is good that we remember Joseph today.

This song is “It Wasn’t His Child” by Trisha Yearwood.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you, Lord, for the example of Joseph, who listened to your voice and who loved your son as his own with unconditional love. Help us to listen to your voice and do what you ask of us even if it’s hard. Be with us as we enter Holy Week that we might listen to your words and reflect on the scriptures that we will hear and on the sacrifice that was made for us by your Son, Jesus. Let the words of scripture touch our hearts and minds and souls and make us different and better than we are.
in the name of Jesus the Christ,
Amen

Question for reflection: What are you going to focus on during Holy Week?