2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Psalm 89:2-5, 27-29
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24
a man of character
"Joseph her husband, an upright man unwilling to expose her to the law, decided to divorce her quietly." —Matthew 1:19
Joseph was:
- righteous. He lived in obedience to the Mosaic Law.
- forgiving. When it seemed obvious to Joseph that Mary had committed adultery and thereby sinned against God and him, Joseph forgave her and planned to divorce her without having her executed for her apparent sin.
- a man of faith. He believed in the virgin-birth of Jesus on the basis of an angel's message in a dream (Mt 1:20).
- decisive. He swiftly responded to the angel's warning and immediately took Jesus and Mary to Egypt to save Jesus from being murdered by Herod (Mt 2:13ff).
- humble and hard-working. He was ridiculed for being a carpenter (Mt 13:55). He is the patron of workers.
- silent. There are no words of Joseph recorded in the Bible.
- unselfish, especially in his vocations as foster-father of Jesus and husband-guardian of the virgin Mary.
We need St. Joseph more than ever, for, if we had his virtues, we would start a quiet revolution which would prepare the world for Christ's final coming. St. Joseph, pray for us.
Prayer: Father, through St. Joseph, teach me how to live and how to die.
Promise: "Yes, he is our father in the sight of God in Whom he believed." —Rm 4:17
Praise: Through his instant and courageous obedience, St. Joseph defended the Infant Jesus from Herod's plan to kill Him (see Mt 2:13ff).
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, August 9, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 18, 2000