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SAINT JOSEPH SAINT JOSEPH I. The promises of the Old Testament were realized in Jesus by means of St. Joseph. The Lord has put his faithful servant in charge of his household. The household referred to in today’s Entrance Antiphon is none other that the Holy Family of Nazareth. God entrusted this treasure to Saint Joseph, his faithful servant, who dedicated his entire life to their care. The Lord’s household also can be understood as the Church, which likewise look to Saint Joseph as a guardian and patron. The First Reading brings to mind the ancient promises made by God to his chosen people, which were then passed down from generation to generation: the coming of a just and powerful King, the Good shepherd who will lead his flock to verdant pastures, the Redeemer who will save his people. In this passage from the second book of Samuel God announces to David that the Messiah will rise from his descendants. The Messiah will found an everlasting kingdom. It is through Joseph that Jesus is the of David. Christ is the fulfillment of the prophecies made from the time of Abraham. With the Incarnation the ‘promises’ and ‘figures’ of the Old Testament become reality: places, persons, events and rites interrelate according to precise divine commands communicated by Angels and received by creatures who are particularly sensitive to the voice of God. Mary is the Lord’s humble servant, prepared from eternity for the task of being the Mother of God, Joseph is the one… who has the responsibility of looking after the of God’s ‘ordained’ entry into the world in accordance with divine dispositions and human laws. All of the so-called ‘private’ or hidden’ life of Jesus is entrusted to Joseph’s guardianship. The Gospel of today’s Mass places a special emphasis on the fact that Joseph was a member of the House of David: Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. Joseph is the Patriarch of the New Testament. Here was an ordinary man to whom God granted extraordinary graces. Joseph was to fulfill a most singular mission in the salvific design of God. He experienced indescribable joys along with the trials of doubt and suffering. We recall his perplexity at the mystery of Mary’s conception, at the extreme of material poverty in Bethlehem, at the prophecies of Simeon in the Temple, at the hurried flight into Egypt, at the difficulties of having to live in a foreign land, at the return from Egypt and the threat posed by Archelaus. Joseph proved himself always faithful to the will of God. He showed himself always ready to set aside his own human plans and considerations. The explanation for this remarkable fidelity is that Jesus and Mary were at the center of Joseph’s life. Joseph’s self-giving is an interweaving of faithful love, loving faith and confident hope. His feast is thus a good opportunity for us to renew our commitment to the Christian calling God has given each of us. When you sincerely desire to live by faith, hope and love, the renewal of your commitment is not a matter of picking up again something neglected. When there really is faith, hope and love, renewal means staying in God’s hands, despite our personal faults, mistakes and defects. It is a confirmation of our faithfulness. Renewing our commitment means renewing our fidelity to what God wants of us: it means expressing our love in deeds. We ask the Holy Patriarch to help us to fulfill the will of God in everything. We pray that he will show us how to live out our commitments joyfully and without reservations. Our example will enlighten many others as to the true pathway to Heaven. in Conversation with God Daily Meditations Volume VI Special Feast January ‒ June 
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