“The Silent Saint”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
December 17 – 18, 2022
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
18 This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. 20 He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son and you must name Him Jesus, because He is the one who is to save His people from their sins.’ 22 Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: 23 Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a Son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. 24 When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
In the Christmas narratives about the birth of our Lord, one person gets short scripted, spiritually speaking. However, it doesn’t bother him because he’s in Heaven in the presence of our good Lord forever. He has everything, so he doesn’t take it personally although some of us would. Who is he? Saint Joseph the Silent who never uttered a word in scripture. According to some traditions, Saint Joseph was without sin but that is pious tradition and not de fide. The Church is silent on that. But, if you look at the staff he carries, it always has a lily, and the lily is a sign of purity.
In ancient Israel, when you were betrothed, you were considered married even before you lived together. You have to read the Gospel in the context of the times because that is when it was written. Even though events in the Gospel happened over 2,000 years ago, we tend to interpret the events and words as if they were a part of our culture today. And that’s not true. An angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, “Have no fear about taking Mary as your wife.” It is the beginning and the continuing of our redemption because he said “yes” to Almighty God in a dream. Did he understand it? No – but he did it. The obedience of Saint Joseph is a model for what our response should be. What an example of faith.
In other dreams, he was told to go to Egypt and to come back from Egypt. He did a lot of walking. He had to walk with Mary who rode on a mule or something like it all the way to Bethlehem. It was shoe leather express all the way. When he couldn’t find a room for her, he had to put her in a stable. You may say, “Well, he was poor.” Scripture doesn’t say that. Quite to the contrary. When the Wise Men came, they found the family in a house. Joseph was a skilled tradesman. In those days, carpenters were highly skilled tradesmen. So, he was probably very secure in his finances. Scripture doesn’t mention that – only that he was a carpenter. They figured we would know all that. What a great act of faith by Joseph. .to be told that Mary is with child by God and to take her as his wife. How can that be possible? Well, in a few days, we will also wonder how God can become man. He can because He is God.
Obedience has two forms. There is the objective part where you do things out of fear. Nobody drives 35 mph in town just because it’s the right thing to do. We do it because the Albemarle Police Department may be close by and watching us. I always see the Highway Patrol and sheriff deputies at the VFW sitting out of view in Richfield. They hide really well. I saw one sitting at the Lutheran Church just over the crest of the hill. Perfect! And if law enforcement catches you speeding, they will say, “Come here and make a donation to the State.” That is objective obedience. I’ve told you before that the toughest part of obedience is mental interior obedience. To obey for love of the law giver who wants our service. It was designed only for our good, and that’s the hard part because our original sin cries, “I know more than You.”
Joseph never spoke a word in Scripture, but he said “yes” by his actions. By his actions, he imitated the Blessed Mother’s fiat, “Be it done to me according to thy will.” What a humble submission of will. What a humble submission of intellect. In a few days, we will mark the fruits of Joseph’s cooperation. What are the fruits of his cooperation? He was the first human being to hold God in his hands.
How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________
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