TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a) gives us the story of Joseph discovering Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph’s initial reaction:

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly. (v. 19)

“just: Or, “righteous”. Joseph is a man of sterling moral character, committed to living by the Mosaic Law (Deut 6:25; Lk 1:6).
“put her to shame: The Greek verb does not necessarily have a negative connotation. It simply means “to expose” or “to exhibit”.
“send her away: Catholic tradition proposes three main interpretations to explain why Joseph resolved to end his betrothal with Mary:
“(1) The Suspicion Theory. Some hold that Joseph suspected Mary of adultery when he discovered her pregnancy. Joseph thus intended to pursue a divorce in accord with Deut 24:1–4 until the angel revealed to him the miraculous cause of the conception (1:20). Joseph is said to be righteous because he shuns immorality and directs his life by the Law of God. Proponents of this view include St. Justin Martyr,St. John Chrysostom, and St. Augustine.
“(2) The Perplexity Theory. Others hold that Joseph found the situation of Mary’s pregnancy inexplicable. Divorce seemed to be his only option, and yet he wished to do this quietly, for he could not bring himself to believe that Mary had been unfaithful. Joseph is said to be righteous because he lives by the Law of God and judges Mary’s situation with the utmost charity. The main proponent of this view is St. Jerome, whose exegesis was adopted into the notes of the medieval Bible.
“(3) The Reverence Theory. Still others hold that Joseph knew the miraculous cause of Mary’s pregnancy from the beginning, i.e., he was made aware that the child was conceived “of the Holy Spirit” (1:18). Faced with this, Joseph considered himself unworthy to be involved in the Lord’s work, and his decision to separate quietly from Mary was a discretionary measure to keep secret the mystery within her. On this reading, the angel confirms what Joseph had already known and urges him to set aside pious fears that would lead him away from his vocation to be the legal father of the Messiah (1:20). Joseph is said to be righteous because of his deep humility and reverence for the miraculous works of God. Proponents of this view include St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Thomas Aquinas.” (The Gospel of Matthew [Ignatius Catholic Study Bible], 18)

It seems to be commonly held that Joseph was suspicious of Mary, or at least confused, but rarely does one hear about the reverence theory. Thus, I wanted to lay out above a concise but clear explanation of each approach. The more I hear about and consider the last one, the more convinced I am that this is the case. Joseph must have known Mary’s character intimately, so ther seems to be no way he could have even conceived of her sinning. Perplexity makes more sense, especially as it is approached by Jerome, but here I suspect Joseph would have had a deeper insight, especially if, as tradition holds, he never committed a personal sin.

Joseph is a great saint. Let us honor him in a special way today for his faithfulness to Mary and her Child. Let us ask his intercession, so that we may we approach that same faithfulness to the Lord and His mother.

MY FAVORITE ST. JOSEPH BOOK

Combines fascinating insights into the man with a beautiful 33-day consecration to him. Check out the website for more info. Pick it up soon so you can start the consecration!

PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH

Who better to pray to for a happy death than Joseph who died with Jesus and Mary assisting him on his final earthly journey? I pray to him often for this cause. Find several prayers here.

God bless.