A Man of Many Colors

I recently watched this video of Jordan Peterson speaking about the Old Testament Joseph and the significance of a “coat of many colors” (Genesis 37:3). I particularly liked his use of this coat as an analogy for being good at whatever you do. As he pointed out, Joseph did well by the grace of God in everything he did—from being a son, brother, servant, prisoner, and even second-in-command of Egypt.

When I heard this analogy, I almost immediately thought of St Teresa of Avila’s experience (and mine) that Joe has been patronage in all matters: 

... I am astonished at the great favours which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint, and at the perils from which He has freed me, both in body and in soul. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succour us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succours us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks...

-Autobiography, Chapter 6 (page 52)

Happy birthday

The thought occurred to me yesterday: Joe obviously had a birthday and I’m sure Jesus and Mary celebrated it with him. I wonder when his birthday was and how did they celebrate? Did he take the day off of work? Did they stay up late to watch the stars move across the sky? Did they have a special meal? 

I found this particular Rabbi’s recommendation fitting for Joe: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/652307/jewish/How-to-Celebrate.htm 

Perhaps we might make these a practice on our own birthdays.

Joe and the Holy Spirit: A Spirit of Adoption

St Paul says to us in his letter to the Romans: 

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" [to God]. (Romans 8:15)

It was through Joe that Jesus was legally adopted into the royal household of David (True Husband and Father). We could very well re-word St. Paul's words regarding Jesus and Joe:

For Jesus did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but He received a spirit of adoption, through which He cries, "abba, father!" [to David].

Some time ago, I shared a portion of St Augustine's reflection on the lineage of Jesus, in which he reflected on the linage of Mary as being a daughter of Aaron (One Mother, Two Roots). Hence, Mary with Joe form Jesus as both a king and a priest of the Old Covenant (albeit the fulfillment of the Old Covenant kings and priests). If we are made members of Christ (CCC, 1213), then we too are brought into the fulfillment of the Old Testament kings and priests. I wonder, therefore, if this gives any support to what St. Peter says to us:

But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own..." (1 Peter 2:9)

Providentially, I am writing this post on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and it just really occurred to me that I have referred to both of them. Perhaps, yet another movement of the Holy Spirit and Joe together!

Bernardine of Siena

Today, is the Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena. On March 19th, for the Solemnity of St Joseph, the Husband of Mary, a portion of one of his sermons is used in the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. Here is the portion that is included:

There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the foster-father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: “Good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord”.

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honorably introduced into the world. Holy Church in its entirety is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfillment. What the divine goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms.

Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honor which he gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather we must say that in heaven Christ completes and perfects all that he gave at Nazareth.

Now we can see how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph: “Enter into the joy of your Lord”. In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph: “Enter into joy”. His intention was that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy, but also that it surrounds him and engulfs him like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph, and plead for us to your foster-child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the mother of him who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns eternally. Amen.

The Return of the King

St. Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem each year for the feast of Passover (Luke 2:41) fulfilling the commandment for all Jews to gather at the Tabernacle (and later, the Temple) (Deuteronomy 16:5-6). In this little detail, we find yet another parallel between Joe and King David.

It was King David who brought the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6), and it was his son, King Solomon, who built the Temple (1 Kings 6).
Mary has been called 'the Ark of the New Covenant' since very early in Christianity. Here we find the parallel of the New King David bringing the Ark of the New Covenant to Jerusalem.

Even more, like King David who did not build the Temple - leaving that to his son - Joe does not build the new Temple, but leaves that to his Son (John 2:19-21).

The New Ahaz

A blessed Solemnity of the Annunciation to you!

In today’s First Reading at Mass, we hear of the promise of God to be with His people. He is Emmanuel - God with us. Always. Yet Ahaz the king did not believe this project through Isaiah. This is, however, not the first time that we have heard of King Ahaz; he is in fact a forefather of Joe (Matthew 1:9). As the genealogy of Jesus points out, there were a plethora of both saints and sinners in the family tree. Ahaz was among the “sinners”, in fact his lack of faith in the true God lead him to even sacrifice his own children to false gods (2 Chronicles 28:1-4). What a stark contrast to Joe, who because of faith, accepted a child to be his own! In a way, we can call Joe, the New Ahaz, or the Ahaz that should have been.

To Jesus, Through Mary, With Joe

Tomorrow is the great Solemnity of St Joseph, the Husband of Mary, and in just seven more days we will be celebrating the Solemnity of the Annunciation. In a way, we can call the Annunciation the completion of the Week of St Joseph. Last week, I recommended a novena of preparation. This week, I recommend a week  of celebration.

The number seven is a number of perfection and completion (“On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing...” -Genesis 2:2). Thus, Joe is completed by the Incarnation. As Husband of the Holy Mother of God, he is the final piece of God’s preparation for the coming of Christ. He is the last of David’s lineage, he is betrothed to Mary before the Incarnation and he completes the Marriage after the visit of the Angel. In a way, Joe and Jesus complete each other (it is through Joe that Jesus enters and completes God’s covenants with Abraham and David). All this happens through Mary. Joe has no relation with Jesus except through Mary. For this reason, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary, is so important. Joe models for all of us that the best way to Jesus is through Mary.

The Father’s Forerunner

This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22-39). There are many things about this account that cause biblical scholars to ponder the question “Why?”

• Why does Luke say, “When the days were completed for their purification” when the Levitical Law required only a purification of the new mother?
• Why did the presentation of Jesus happen at the Temple when this was not required by Levitical Law?
• Why does Luke omit the giving of the Redemption Price (Redeemer of the Redeemer?)

As well as other questions. 

Today, I want to point out a question that I raise is found in verse 33, “The child’s father and mother...”. A literal translation of the Greek (and the Latin) is “The father of the child and the mother...” Why does Luke refer only to Joe in relation to Jesus here? Why not both parents when almost everywhere else the Gospel writers refer to Mary in direct relation to Jesus and not Joe? 

In fact, I think the reason lies in the only other time when Joe and Mary are mentioned together but only Joe is referred to directly to Jesus, which incidentally also happens in the Temple. Mary asked Jesus 12 years after this: “Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” (Luke 2:48).

Joe is mentioned in direct relationship to Jesus in these two places because they both point to the revelation that soon follows: while many may think that Joe is Jesus’ Father, there is Another who is. As Joe marvels at what is said of Jesus’s coming works of salvation, the Father is the Author of these works. As Joe seeks out Jesus and finds Him in the Temple, the Father who is always with Jesus. 

Joe’s purpose is not to replace Jesus’ Heavenly Father. His purpose is to point out His Heavenly Father. In a way as John the Baptist was the Forerunner to Jesus, Joe is the Forerunner to the Father, preparing the way for Him to be revealed to us. Like John, Joe would proclaim without the least hesitation, “One is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” (John 1:30).

Accepting to be Chosen

I came across this captioned picture and was absolutely stunned by the message. I think the lesson this message presents to us in describing Joe is this:

Sanctity does not mean choosing God; instead, it means accepting in humility that God chooses us.

Joe did not choose to be the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus; instead, he accepted in humility that God chose him to be this man.  The question for each of us is, “Have I accepted in humility that God has chosen me to be ... ?”

Where is Joe?

It really never struck me until this past Epiphany that Joe is not mentioned in the story of the Magi’s visit (Matthew 2:1-12). Instead, the Matthew tells us that the Magi found “the Child with Mary His mother.” Where was Joe? Did Matthew forget that he was there? Perhaps he was out working or looking for work. Who knows...

But I think this little detail tells us a little about Joe. He was not a “helicopter parent” nor a “jealous husband”. He trusted Mary to be alone with Jesus, and even more than this, he trusted God to keep them both safe. In other words, Joe knew that God did not require him to be the family guardian when he could not; God does not expect the same of us. He knows our limitations, and He provides for us when we are unable.

Just imagine the surprise of Joe when he returned home to find three unexpected visitors who have brought gold frankincense and myrrh. I imagine that Mary greeted Joe at the door, and the first thing that Joe asks is “What’s happening here?”. To which Mary calmly responds, “Oh, you know, they just wanted to bring some gifts for Jesus.”

Perhaps another detail of this story that tells us a bit about his character is the final verse, “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.” It seems to me that the Magi stayed the night with Mary, Joe, and Jesus. Jerusalem was less than a day’s walk away from Bethlehem, and so it only makes sense that they stayed the night in Bethlehem. Joe was hospitable and welcomed the strangers to stay the night. In the morning they would be on their way - just not back to Jerusalem.

You are my Beloved Son

We all know that kids like to ask the simple question, “Why?” And in the process of answering “because...” and returning to “but why?” “because...”  and so on, we often are led by kids to the core, the most basic, the fundamentals of what we are teaching them.

I have to believe that Jesus was the same way. After all, “He had to become like his brothers in every way... yet without sin” (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15). Imagine Jesus and Joseph having this conversation:

Jesus: Dad, why did you and mom name me ‘Jesus'? Why not Joseph, or Jacob, or Judah?

Joseph: Because, Jesus, this was the name that the angel told us to give to you.

Jesus: But why did the angel tell you to give me this name?

Joseph: Because the Lord wanted it to be so.

Jesus: But why did the Lord want it to be so?

Joseph: Because He wanted you to know your mission in life from the identity that He has given to you.

Jesus: But what is my mission?

Joseph: The angel told me that your mission is to save us from our sinfulness. This is why you are called ‘Jesus'. Your name means, “The LORD saves.”

Jesus: But why should the LORD give me this name when it is parents who name their kids?

Joseph: Because the LORD is your true Father. I can only echo what He commands of me. He is the true Speaker, you are His Word, and I am only the wall that echos back the Word. You both precede me and follow from me. You were spoken from all of eternity and in this moment of time, I am blessed to repeat what your Father has spoken. I am only a canyon. Perhaps, by the LORD's gift, the greatest and most beautiful canyon because of the mission that has been given to me by name. My name means “The LORD increases.” And I am blessed to give increase to your name by repeating it. But no matter how beautiful the canyon is, it compares as nothing to the Person who beholds it and speaks into it. For the Beauty of the Speaker is His Word, and the canyon has no word of its own—only the Word that has been given to it. You, Jesus, are my word because you have been given to me and I give you back. I can only repeat what God has said to you from all eternity, “You are my beloved son.”

Jesus: So, what you're saying is that my mission in life (to save God's people from their sins) comes from my identity (Jesus) that God has given me because of the relationship that He has with me (His Son)?

Joseph: Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.

Jesus: Cool! Thanks dad!

The Eighth Day

Happy New Year! May it be richly blessed!

By law, Jewish boys were circumcised on the eighth day of their birth. Today, on January 1, the eighth day of Jesus’ Nativity, we celebrate this occasion. But why? For two reasons, I suppose.

1. Circumcision brought Jesus into both sides of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:1-22). He always was God, but not always man.
2. This would have been an official sign of paternity on the part of Joe. Thus, this occasion also marks Jesus’ entrance into both sides of the Davidic covenant as well (2 Samuel 7:8-16).

Both are effected by Joe. As God accepted Abraham and David into everlasting covenants, so Joe accepted, as descendant of both Abraham and David, God into everlasting covenant. 

Today is also the day that we recall the bestowal of the Name of Jesus. Here is a flash back to a reflection on the major significance of the little detail of Matthew 1:25, “Who do you say that I am?”

Will He look like me?

"What will He look like?" I'm sure this was a question that Joe must have asked himself over and over again during the final days of Mary's pregnancy with Jesus. The question, "Will He look like me?", probably caused Joe some anxiety too. "If He happens to look like me, will others think that He is my son? Will they not believe me when I say that Mary is still a virgin? How could I expect them to understand if I myself do not understand how all this is possible?"

Now, imagine... 

It is a little past midnight. Mary and Joe are in a cave with animals all around with all the smells and sounds this entails. The only light and heat they have is from a little twig fire that crackles just a few feet away. Mary has been experiencing contractions for the last several hours, and the time of delivery is here. Joe is the only other person she trusts and permits to assist her in delivering her Child, but he has never assisted in the delivery of a child - let alone this Child! With the temptation to fear that he will mess-up and cause the death of his wife and her Child pressing hard upon him, he cries out to the Father in a short but urgent prayer:

God, come to me quickly! 

You are my help and deliverer. 

Lord, do not delay!

-Psalm 70:6

Now Joe turns his full attention to his wife as he is in anguish in seeing his beloved wife suffer the pains of giving birth. The delivery happens, and before he knows it, he is holding this crying newborn king in his hands. Joe is the first to hold Him -he is the first to see His Face- and he is astonished to see that this little Boy looks just like him. He is stunned. He does not know what to say or think. He can only look upon this Child with love, and he begins to experience that weird mix of crying and laughing at the same time. 

He knows that this Child is not his by nature; instead, he knows that he has received this Child as a gift from God through Mary. Mary! He became so enraptured with this Child that he actually forgot about her! While all these thoughts and emotions are passing through Joe, Mary just laid there and looked with patient love upon her beloved husband and Son. Joe looks up at Mary, and with tear-filled eyes, he hands the Child to her. 

The Human Face of God is now seen! God is with us! Come, let us adore Him!

Joe at the Manger

This past Sunday, Pope Francis sent an Apostolic Letter in which he spoke about “the meaning and importance of the Nativity Scene”. I found paragraph #7 worth sharing here in part:

Gradually, we come to the cave, where we find the figures of Mary and Joseph... At Mary’s side, shown protecting the Child and his Mother, stands Saint Joseph. He is usually depicted with staff in hand, or holding up a lamp. Saint Joseph plays an important role in the life of Jesus and Mary. He is the guardian who tirelessly protects his family. When God warned him of Herod’s threat, he did not hesitate to set out and flee to Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13-15). And once the danger had passed, he brought the family back to Nazareth, where he was to be the first teacher of Jesus as a boy and then as a young man. Joseph treasured in his heart the great mystery surrounding Jesus and Mary his spouse; as a just man, he entrusted himself always to God’s will, and put it into practice.

Limbo poem by Sr Mary Ada, OSJ

A couple months ago, I came across this poem written by Sr. Mary Ada, OSJ. I’ve been waiting for this month when we remember those who have died in our prayers to share it since this seemed the most appropriate time.

"Limbo"
By: Sr. Mary Ada, OSJ

The ancient greyness shifted
Suddenly and thinned
Like mist upon the moors
Before a wind.
An old, old prophet lifted
A shining face and said :
“He will be coming soon.
The Son of God is dead;
He died this afternoon.”

A murmurous excitement stirred
All souls.
They wondered if they dreamed ---
Save one old man who seemed
Not even to have heard.

And Moses standing,
Hushed them all to ask
If any had a welcome song prepared.
If not, would David take the task?
And if they cared
Could not the three young children sing
The Benedicite, the canticle of praise
They made when God kept them from perishing
In the fiery blaze?

A breath of spring surprised them,
Stilling Moses’ words.
No one could speak, remembering
The first fresh flowers,
The little singing birds.
Still others thought of fields new ploughed
Or apple trees
All blossom-boughed.
Or some, the way a dried bed fills
With water
Laughing down green hills.
The fisherfolk dreamed of the foam
On bright blue seas.
The one old man who had not stirred
Remembered home.

And there He was
Splendid as the morning sun and fair
As only God is fair.
And they, confused with joy,
Knelt to adore
Seeing that he wore
Five crimson stars
He never had before.

No canticle at all was sung.
None toned a psalm, or raised a greeting song.
A silent man alone
Of all that throng
Found tongue ----
Not any other.
Close to His heart
When the embrace was done,
Old Joseph said,
“How is Your Mother,
How is Your Mother, Son?”

Jesus, Joe, and JP II

Yesterday, we celebrated the memory of Pope St. John Paul II. I cannot help but recall his encyclical about Joe, Redemptoris Custos. Here is a little paragraph from it (27), but I cannot recommend highly enough the whole encyclical if you have not already.

Why should the "fatherly" love of Joseph not have had an influence upon the "filial" love of Jesus? And vice versa why should the "filial" love of Jesus not have had an influence upon the "fatherly" love of Joseph, thus leading to a further deepening of their unique relationship? Those souls most sensitive to the impulses of divine love have rightly seen in Joseph a brilliant example of the interior life.

Redeemer of the Redeemer?

I recently took notice again of a footnote on Luke 2:22 from the NAB-RE:

They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord: as the firstborn son (Lk 2:7) Jesus was consecrated to the Lord as the law required (Ex 13:2, 12), but there was no requirement that this be done at the temple. The concept of a presentation at the temple is probably derived from 1 Sm 1:24–28, where Hannah offers the child Samuel for sanctuary services. The law further stipulated (Nm 3:47–48) that the firstborn son should be redeemed by the parents through their payment of five shekels to a member of a priestly family. About this legal requirement Luke is silent.

I particularly took notice of the final two sentences that seemed strange to me.

The ritual of redeeming a firstborn son as mentioned in Numbers 3:47-48 is called Pidyon Haben. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, the Pidyon Haben replaced the requirement of the consecration of the firstborn son to the Lord if both parents were non-Levites. If either parent was of the tribe of Levi, the son could not be redeemed.

So, I came to basically three possible scenarios. All three of which I think are possible, but I think the first is most probable:

• Joe did not redeem Jesus because Mary was of the tribe of Levi, and therefore Jesus could not be redeemed. 
• I spoke of Mary being of the tribe of Levi in One Mother, Two Roots.
• Joe did not redeem Jesus because he realized the significance of Jesus' mission of being the sacrificial Lamb of God and High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-14).
• This position allows for the possibility that Mary was not of the tribe of Levi, but it does not require it.
• Joe did redeem Jesus by paying the five shekels and Luke just made no mention of it. 
• I think that this is the least probable scenario, 
• but if this is in fact the case, we could rightly call Joe "The Redeemer of the Redeemer".

True Husband and Father

Today, we celebrate the great St. Augustine, the great preacher of the Western Church. In addition to being a great teacher, he also had a great devotion to Joe. Take, for example, Paragraph 26 from one of his homilies on the New Testament:

Among [the Jewish] people then, because it was necessary that there should be an abundant increase until Christ came, by the multiplication of that people in whom were to be prefigured all that was to be prefigured as instruction for the Church, it was a duty to marry wives, by means of whom that people in whom the Church should be foreshown might increase. But when the King of all nations Himself was born, then began the honor of virginity with the Mother of the Lord, who had the privilege of bearing a Son without any loss of her virgin purity. Since it was a true marriage, and a marriage free from all corruption, why should not the husband chastely receive what his wife had chastely brought forth? For as she was a wife in chastity, so was he in chastity a husband; and as she was in chastity a mother, so was he in chastity a father. Whoever then says that he ought not to be called father, because he did not beget his Son in the usual way, looks rather to the satisfaction of passion in the procreation of children, and not the natural feeling of affection. What others desire to fulfill in the flesh, he in a more excellent way fulfilled in the spirit. For thus they who adopt children, beget them by the heart in greater chastity, whom they cannot by the flesh beget. Consider, brethren, the laws of adoption; how a man comes to be the son of another, of whom he was not born, so that the choice of the person who adopts has more right in him than the nature of him who begets him has. Not only then must Joseph be a father, but in a most excellent manner a father...

I also just came across this painting that has Joe and Augustine together. You read a little about it here. St. Augustine is at the bottom left, and Joe is standing right next to Mary. Notice that Jesus and Joe are the only figures looking at each other.

Whatever you ask the Father in my name

In Terror of Demons, I shared a quote from St. Teresa of Avila's Autobiography in which she wrote that Joe had answered all of her petitions to God through him without fail. I can honestly say that this has largely been my experience too.

Just a couple days ago, I was struck by what Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you." (John 16:23) I've said many times already that Joe, as Jesus' earthly father, is the perfect icon of God the Father. If this is so, then it makes sense why he has been found to be a powerful intercessor in every case. I would go so far as to say that Jesus also says to us, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask Joseph in my name he will give you."

If you want to know the Father's Heart, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” (Gen. 41:55)

Father of Love

This is one of my absolutely favorite images of Joe.

There is just something very real about the image. I have had a lot of experience of newborns in my family, and from what I have observed, there are not many things that makes a new-mother happier than when the new-father gets up in the middle of the night to take care of the wailing child in order to allow his wife to rest. There is just something very manly and fatherly of Joe taking care of Jesus in the quiet of the night.

If I had to put a narrative to this picture, I don’t think I could express it any better than how Michael Card did in Joseph’s Song. If you were Joe and had the opportunity to hold our God in your arms, what would you say? Would you say the same to Him when you receive Him in the Holy Eucharist? I pray that I would.